Alex Trelinski
TWO violent home robbery gangs operating in Valencia province have been brought down by the Policia Nacional.
Four men and two women of Croatian and Spanish nationalities have been arrested after two special police operations.
Operation Catedra was launched in July to track down two men who made unwanted home visits in broad daylight between noon and 2.00pm.
They’d ring the front door bell to check if a property was empty and would then force windows to get inside.
Things didn’t always go their own way as a resident found them inside his Valencia area villa after hearing somebody ring the door.
Days later, the men were disturbed by a home owner after her dog started barking in the garden.
Further robbery reports surfaced in Paterna in September with a rental vehicle used each time- having been booked under different names.
The car was tracked down to a Gandia hotel where the two suspects were staying after stealing €35,000 and 7,000 US dollars from a villa.
They were detained last month and jailed after resisting arrest by kicking a police officer who suffered a broken hand.
Meanwhile, two men and two women were detained following the successful conclusion of Operation Tocaya which started after a Valencia home owner chased two robbers into the street, but had to give up the pursuit when one of them threatened him with a knife.
One of the stolen items was an electric guitar which had been sold second-hand with police able to identify the illegal sellers.
Police arrived at an address to make their arrests and the same man who brandished a knife at the victim threatened to stab one of the officers in the leg.
He was identified as the group’s ring-leader and was jailed after a court appearance
