The Guardia Civil has arrested four men accused of operating at service stations across Alicante, Castellon, Valencia and Murcia. Two house searches carried out in Torrevieja as part of the operation led to the recovery of jewellery, money from various countries and multiple objects linked to the crimes.
The four detainees, aged between 35 and 45, face charges for two counts of robbery with violence and intimidation, 16 counts of forced theft from inside vehicles, document forgery and membership of a criminal group.
The investigation began at the start of the year following a detected spike in robberies at service stations along the AP7 motorway, where it passes through the provinces of Castellon, Valencia, Alicante and Murcia.
Investigators discovered that the group took advantage of the motorway to move across different locations in a single night. They allegedly utilised two vehicles: one rented for daily activities and another specifically for executing the thefts. To further complicate police tracking and escape identification, the vehicles were registered under the names of third parties.
Officers confirmed that the group worked in a highly coordinated manner. Certain members would check the service stations beforehand to ensure there was no police presence and to pick out potential targets. They would then notify the rest of the gang to carry out the crime.
To break into the vehicles, they used small, blunt objects, primarily spark plug fragments, which allowed them to smash windows with a single blow. This method enabled them to steal personal belongings rapidly. On certain occasions, the suspects used violence against their victims.
The police operation resulted in the seizure of two high-end cars. Inside the vehicles used by the suspects, officers uncovered gloves, torches, pocket knives, screwdrivers, a defence spray, a spark plug and two golf clubs, all believed to have been used to commit the offences.
The legal proceedings are being managed by the Organised Unit of the Judicial Police of the Guardia Civil of Castellon and the Guardia Civil of Burriana.
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