Benidorm gang that attacked elderly women for jewellery caught, but still on streets

Seventeen young suspects now sit facing charges after Guardia Civil officers smashed a violent group that targeted older women for their jewellery across Altea, Alfas del Pi and Benidorm.

Operation Kilada, launched by the Altea unit, rounded up 15 Algerian nationals (one still a minor) and two Spanish women aged between 17 and 31. Investigators say the gang specialised in spotting elderly women wearing gold chains, bracelets or rings while they walked the seafront promenades or sat on outdoor terraces.

How the thieves operated

Suspects worked in rotating pairs or threes, sometimes alone. Once they clocked a potential victim they kept a discreet distance and tailed her all the way home. The moment she stepped into the entrance hall of her apartment block, out of public view, they struck. Most attacks involved grabbing the woman by the neck or simply shoving her to the floor before ripping off whatever jewellery she had on. Injuries were common. In one case a thief even pushed his way inside a victim’s flat and wrestled a gold necklace from her after a struggle.

Police linked the group to 18 violent robberies and three straight thefts that began drawing complaints in February. Officers from Torrevieja and Calpe units, plus a dog team, eventually raided a flat on one of Altea’s main streets. Fifteen people were detained there; two more were later lifted in Altea and Benidorm.

Drugs and stolen goods seized

Inside the property officers found 15 grams of cocaine, 21 grams of hashish resin and around 30 canisters of nitrous oxide, along with scales and packaging gear used for dealing. Recovered items also included several pieces of stolen jewellery, cash, four electric scooters and 15 high-end mobile phones, some still in their boxes.

All 17 were put before the Benidorm court, charged with continuous property crime, drug trafficking and belonging to a criminal group. Judges released them with a set of precautionary measures while the case continues.

Same pattern seen elsewhere on the coast

Similar attacks on older people have cropped up nearby. Only days earlier a widow was trapped by thugs who snatched her handbag outside a Lidl in Calpe, an incident that again raised questions about the lack of security cameras at some Costa Blanca supermarkets.
Read the full Calpe story on Euro Weekly News

Guardia Civil sources describe Kilada as a solid result against a crew that deliberately picked on the most vulnerable residents in the Marina Baixa area. Stolen jewellery has been returned to some victims and a street-level drug point has been closed down. Inquiries remain open as officers check whether any further offences can be tied to the same faces.

Have the men been sentenced?

Reports from the days immediately after the arrests (20–22 July) consistently state that the case remains under investigation/instruction. No later updates appear indicating a trial, plea, or sentence. Given that only a few days have passed (date of publishing 25 July 2026), a full trial and sentencing would be highly unusual in Spain for a multi-defendant case involving multiple violent robberies, organised crime and drug charges.

The proceedings are still ongoing.