The Civil Guard has arrested seven Colombians as they were about to rob a jewellery store in the Parque Corredor shopping centre in Torrejón de Ardoz. They are attributed with at least two other similar robberies in Pinto and Torrelodones.
The Special Intervention Unit (UEI) of the Civil Guard has put an end to the wave of robberies that had kept jewellery stores in various shopping centres of the Community of Madrid on edge. Seven Colombian citizens were arrested this Thursday inside the Parque Corredor shopping centre in Torrejón de Ardoz as they were preparing to commit their next robbery.
The agents, who had been tracking the gang for weeks, burst into the establishment minutes before eleven in the morning, just as the suspects, armed with two pistols, were getting ready to strike. The operation resulted in six arrests on the spot and a seventh in the vicinity, following a brief chase.
During the intervention, one of the civil guards sustained minor injuries, although hospital admission was not necessary. The seized weapons have been sent to the laboratory to determine if they have been used in other violent crimes.
A Gang That Operated with Violence and Precision
The gang, according to investigation sources, specialised in robbing jewellery stores located in shopping centres. Their modus operandi was always similar: they would enter during peak hours, armed and with great determination, to subdue the staff and seize as much loot as possible in just a few minutes.
Investigators suspect that this same group is behind the recent robberies that occurred in Pinto and Torrelodones, where they also acted violently, even firing shots into the air during one of the robberies to intimidate those present. In all cases, the criminals used stolen high-end vehicles to flee, such as the two Mercedes that were waiting for them this morning in the Parque Corredor car park.
For the local residents, the news comes as a relief. The feeling of insecurity had grown in recent months, especially among jewellery merchants, who saw how their colleagues in other shopping centres were targeted by these dangerous robberies.
The UEI, the Elite Arm of the Civil Guard
The Special Intervention Unit (UEI) is the special operations group of the Civil Guard, trained for high-risk missions. Their intervention in this case was crucial to prevent the robbers from carrying out the heist and, above all, to ensure the safety of the employees and customers of the shopping centre, which was bustling with commercial activity at that time.
The detainees have been transferred to the Civil Guard Command in Tres Cantos, where they remain awaiting judicial proceedings. They face charges of robbery with violence and intimidation, illegal possession of firearms, and belonging to a criminal group, among others.
The Civil Guard does not rule out that the gang is related to other similar robberies recorded in recent months in the Community of Madrid and continues to analyse the evidence collected at the scene.
For the citizens of Torrejón de Ardoz and the affected municipalities, the arrest provides a breather, but also a wake-up call about the need to strengthen security in shopping centres. The investigation remains open.
