- Region
- Águilas
- Alhama de Murcia
- Jumilla
- Lorca
- Los Alcázares
- Mazarrón
- San Javier
-
ALL AREAS & TOWNS
- AREAS
- SOUTH WEST
- MAR MENOR
- MURCIA CITY & CENTRAL
- NORTH & NORTH WEST
- TOWNS
- Abanilla
- Abarán
- Aguilas
- Alamillo
- Alcantarilla
- Aledo
- Alhama de Murcia
- Archena
- Balsicas
- Blanca
- Bolnuevo
- Bullas
- Cañadas del Romero
- Cabo de Palos
- Calasparra
- Camping Bolnuevo
- Campo De Ricote
- Camposol
- Canada De La Lena
- Caravaca de la Cruz
- Cartagena
- Cehegin
- Ceuti
- Cieza
- Condado de Alhama
- Corvera
- Costa Cálida
- Cuevas De Almanzora
- Cuevas de Reyllo
- El Carmoli
- El Mojon
- El Molino (Puerto Lumbreras)
- El Pareton / Cantareros
- El Raso
- El Valle Golf Resort
- Fortuna
- Fuente Alamo
- Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort
- Hacienda Riquelme Golf Resort
- Isla Plana
- Islas Menores & Mar de Cristal
- Jumilla
- La Azohia
- La Charca
- La Manga Club
- La Manga del Mar Menor
- La Pinilla
- La Puebla
- La Torre
- La Torre Golf Resort
- La Unión
- Las Palas
- Las Ramblas
- Las Ramblas Golf
- Las Torres de Cotillas
- Leiva
- Librilla
- Lo Pagan
- Lo Santiago
- Lorca
- Lorquí
- Los Alcázares
- Los Balcones
- Los Belones
- Los Canovas
- Los Nietos
- Los Perez (Tallante)
- Los Urrutias
- Los Ventorrillos
- Mar De Cristal
- Mar Menor
- Mar Menor Golf Resort
- Mazarrón
- Mazarrón Country Club
- Molina de Segura
- Moratalla
- Mula
- Murcia City
- Murcia Property
- Pareton
- Peraleja Golf Resort
- Perin
- Pilar de la Horadada
- Pinar de Campoverde
- Pinoso
- Playa Honda
- Playa Honda / Playa Paraíso
- Pliego
- Portmán
- Pozo Estrecho
- Puerto de Mazarrón
- Puerto Lumbreras
- Puntas De Calnegre
- Region of Murcia
- Ricote
- Roda Golf Resort
- Roldan
- Roldan and Lo Ferro
- San Javier
- San Pedro del Pinatar
- Santiago de la Ribera
- Sierra Espuña
- Sucina
- Tallante
- Terrazas de la Torre Golf Resort
- Torre Pacheco
- Totana
- What's On Weekly Bulletin
- Yecla
- EDITIONS: Spanish News Today Alicante Today Andalucia Today
ARCHIVED - Rumanian gang ripped out cabling in Murcia and Alicante to recover the copper
20 crimes have been cleared up with this one operation
During the last economic crisis which intensified in 2010, crime increased dramatically, particularly theft, and as covid cases accelerate and the jobless total looks set to soar in the autumn, it’s no surprise to see an increasing number of crime reports coming in related to breaking and entering and general theft.
One of the favourite targets in the previous crisis was scrap metal, with robbers breaking into a wide range of premises to steal anything which could be sold for scrap, particularly high value metals such as copper and lead, and at one point no street light was safe as robbers were leaving whole urbanisations in the dark ripping out their street lighting by tying cabling to a vehicle and driving off speed, pulling the cabling out as they went!
The police launched a major campaign targeting the scrap yards who were buying stolen metal in the full knowledge that it was of dubious origin and making sure that purchase logs were maintained accurately, and after a succession of arrests, the thefts abated.
However, it looks as though metal could be back on the menu again and police have dismantled a hefty operation specialising in the theft of copper under the umbrella of operation ‘Cobrecu-Memo20’.
The criminal group concerned comprised nine Rumanian nationals, dedicated to the theft of copper cabling. In addition, three other people, responsible for metal waste management centers, are being investigated for receiving stolen goods.
After the operation, which is part of the larger-scale ‘Plan against copper theft’, more than twenty criminal acts committed in Murcia, Alicante, Albacete and Pontevedra have so far been clarified.
The operation was opened at the beginning of the year after detecting a considerable increase in robberies in Murcia and Alicante in which copper cable was stolen. These robberies took place in isolated areas where the perpetrators had previously been carrying out surveillance tasks and were perfectly aware of their characteristics, which allowed them to establish strict security measures and plan the places to hide the stolen copper.
The first steps of the operation made it possible to verify that after the investigated robberies there was a structured, hierarchical and established criminal group in Murcia, with a leaderplanning and directing the illicit actions.
Due to its modus operandi, it was verified that the criminal group was perfectly synchronized and that its members had all the knowledge, means, logistics and experience necessary to carry out this type of act.
Once the viability of the robbery had been determined, the members of the criminal group climbed up the poles - using climbers - until they reached the height where the cables are, about 5 or 6 meters, where they cut at the ends of the section they planned to remove.
When the necessary security conditions were met to continue with the execution of the robbery, after cutting the wiring, they pulled each end until they were able to unhook the entire section.
When the wiring was on the ground they used nearby locations, which had previously been located, to temporarily hide their loot and thus avoid being surprised. A few days later they collected it and transported it with large vehicles to other isolated areas where the wiring was burned: a common process to separate the copper wire from its plastic wrap. Finally, the copper was illegally traded in scrap yards in the Murcia municipality.
Although the operation began with the commission of theft of copper cabling, as the investigation progressed, the civil guards found that the members of the criminal group were also specialized in committing robberies with force in telephone shops, where, in a short space of time, they stole a large number of terminals that, later, they sold both in shops selling second-hand products and to private individuals.
After locating all the members of the criminal group, twenty agents raided the property in the Murcian capital where most of the suspects resided.
The search resulted in the arrest of seven of the members of the criminal group, including its leader, and the seizure of five vehicles and a large number of tools used in the development of criminal activity, as well as the recovery of a large number of terminals and tablets.
The operation culminated in meticulous inspections in three metal waste management centers - junk yards - in the municipality of Murcia, in which the criminal group illegally commercialized the stolen copper. The owners of all three will face charges of receiving stolen goods.
The two remaining suspects were detained shortly afterwards.
In total 20 different thefts; 17 of copper cabling and 3 in telephone shops have been attributed to the gang, with a value of more than 100,000 euros worth of material stolen.
All of the gang members arrested in the Murcia region were Rumanian and all had form for previous offences.
The case is being heard by the Court of Instruction in Orihuela.
Thefts Murcia (8):
Abanilla, Alhama de Murcia,El Albujón-Cartagena
El Raal-Murcia,Fuente Álamo, Murcia
Thefts Alicante Province:
Comunidad Valenciana (12)
Alicante, Albatera,Benferri, Crevillente,Daya Vieja,Dolores, Elche,Raiguero de Bonanza, San Fulgencio, San Isidro
In addition there were thefts in Albacete and Pontevedra in Galicia.
Cartagena
El Carmoli
Islas Menores and Mar de Cristal
La Manga Club
La Manga del Mar Menor
La Puebla
La Torre Golf Resort
La Union
Los Alcazares
Los Belones
Los Nietos
Los Urrutias
Mar Menor Golf Resort
Pilar de la Horadada
Playa Honda / Playa Paraiso
Portman
Roldan and Lo Ferro
San Javier
San Pedro del Pinatar
Santa Rosalia Lake and Life resort
Terrazas de la Torre Golf Resort
Torre Pacheco
Aledo
Alhama de Murcia
Bolnuevo
Camposol
Condado de Alhama
Fuente Alamo
Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort
Lorca
Mazarron
Puerto de Mazarron
Puerto Lumbreras
Sierra Espuna
Totana
Abaran
Alcantarilla
Archena
Blanca
Corvera
El Valle Golf Resort
Hacienda Riquelme Golf Resort
Lorqui
Molina de Segura
Mosa Trajectum
Murcia City
Peraleja Golf Resort
Ricote
Sucina
Condado de Alhama
El Valle Golf Resort
Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort
Hacienda Riquelme Golf Resort
Islas Menores and Mar de Cristal
La Manga Club
La Torre Golf Resort
Mar Menor Golf Resort
Mazarron Country Club
Mosa Trajectum
Peraleja Golf Resort
Santa Rosalia Lake and Life resort
Terrazas de la Torre Golf Resort
La Zenia
Lomas de Cabo Roig
CAMPOSOL TODAY Whats OnCartagena SpainCoronavirusCorvera Airport MurciaMurcia Gota Fria 2019Murcia property news generic threadWeekly Bulletin