Spanish Police Bust Highway Robbery Ring Targeting Moroccan Travelers

This criminal network specialized in armed robberies is made up of four individuals of Moroccan and Colombian origin based in Murcia. The Civil Guard opened an investigation into this group after its members robbed, at the end of July 2022, two vehicles (a van and a motorhome) in a single afternoon on the A-7 motorway, between Malaga and Granada.

Alerted, the Operations Center of the Civil Guard services (COS) deployed several patrols in this area to try to locate the suspects. The vehicles used for the robbery were found abandoned by the criminals in Algarrobo (Malaga), who continued on foot. The thorough inspection of the vehicles allowed the agents to discover that they were stolen vehicles in the provinces of Murcia and Alicante, whose license plates had been falsified.

The agents found in one of the vehicles the Kalashnikov or AK-47 used by the criminals to commit their crimes, as well as several hashish bales. Continuing their investigation, the agents discovered that seven other robberies had been committed in Alicante, Murcia and Malaga, information that allowed them to identify the four individuals and locate them in Cieza (Murcia) where they were finally arrested.

Of Moroccan and Colombian origin, the four suspects were brought before the Court of First Instance in Torrox. They are accused of alleged attacks on property, belonging to a criminal organization, illegal possession of weapons and drug trafficking.