A well-organised crime ring suspected of robbing 25 Portuguese banks has been rounded up and arrested by Spanish police.
The 24-strong gang is believed to have got away with nearly €4 million since starting its crime spree across the peninsula and beyond.
Their modus operandi was highly sophisticated. They dug into banks from neighbouring buildings, managing at the same time to neutralise security systems.
The group forced their way into shielded safes using specialised tools, and then made off with gold, as well as cash, said the Spanish Civil Guard on their website.
The robbers would return to Spain to avoid being identified in the countries where they carried out their crimes.
Money stolen was laundered through a well-oiled network, while luxury vehicles used in the heists had their licence plates changed and were quickly sold.
Besides the bank robberies, the criminals also made over €265,000 through a counterfeit receipts con. They were finally arrested in police swoops on locations in Alicante and Murcia.
More than €40,000 in cash was recovered, plus 15 vehicles, 20 cell phones, electronic equipment, jewellery and one solid gold ingot.
The arrests followed a 20-month police investigation in which robberies throughout the Iberian Peninsula and in neighbouring countries were compared and linked. Portuguese authorities, including the PJ criminal police, were involved, and this is how the Civil Guard learnt of the ring’s involvement in the Portuguese bank robberies.
