Eight thieves arrested in Estepona

NATIONAL Police announced on December 23 that they had arrested a group of six women and two men in Estepona following a police investigation into shoplifting which started in November of this year.

The group, all Romanians, had prepared shopping bags which were lined in such a manner that any goods inside them did not set off any alarms and in groups of two and three the women were driven to Cadiz, Granada or Malaga, where they proceeded to steal goods which were collected by the drivers and shipped via a Romanian company to Romania.

Police had been tipped off to the arrival of the group of itinerants in Estepona and proceeded to study their movements and ways of working together which established where they were living.

On the day of the arrests in Estepona, police found €2,585 in cash, numerous mobile phones, prepaid cards, clothing with their labels, anti-theft alarm devices, tools to remove the alarms and numerous bags prepared to avoid alarms. In addition, the local police in Marbella arrested a woman on the same day who was connected with this group.

The operation was carried out by the Group of Urban Crime Brigade of the Judicial Police of Marbella and they estimate that the value of cash and goods found was in the region of €10,000, but that the whole criminal undertaking which commenced in September would have been worth €600,000.