The police have arrested the six robbers who managed to escape after raiding the jewellery shop in the Las Arenas shopping centre, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, on 13 October, having arrested the seventh suspect earlier that same day.
As the Canary Islands Police Headquarters noted in a statement, the incident took place shortly after 9.45 pm, when several masked individuals stormed into the jewellery shop and discharged fire extinguishers to reduce visibility inside the premises and hinder the actions of the staff and the security systems.
The robbers then smashed the display cases with sledgehammers and stole jewellery worth more than 110,000 euros.
Las Palmas: First suspect apprehended at the scene
Whilst fleeing, they punched and kicked a member of staff at a nearby establishment who tried to prevent them from escaping, as well as the security staff who intervened to apprehend them.
Thanks to the swift action of the security guards and the cooperation of members of the public, one of the alleged perpetrators was apprehended following a struggle; he was handed over to the National Police and remanded in custody.
The rest of those involved managed to leave the scene through an emergency exit which they had allegedly blocked beforehand, and fled at high speed in a vehicle that had been stolen a few days earlier from a car dealership in the city.
Investigations reveal the logistics and hideouts of the gang of robbers
The investigation, carried out by the Property Crime Unit of the Provincial Judicial Police Brigade, revealed that the group had an organised logistical structure, carried out preliminary surveillance at the shopping centre and used several properties in the La Paterna neighbourhood as hideouts.
Furthermore, the investigations revealed the existence of internal conflicts relating to the division of the spoils, which are said to have led to various violent incidents involving knives at the locations where those under investigation were in hiding.
During the police operation, officers located a vehicle linked to one of the members of the organisation who had initially managed to escape. Inside, they seized a fire extinguisher, hammers, baseball bats, clothing designed to conceal identity and numerous car keys.
The seized material bore similarities to that used during the robbery under investigation and, according to police inquiries, may have been intended for use in planning a further robbery.
Gran Canaria: Five suspects remanded in custody
The six people arrested during this second phase of the police operation face charges of robbery with violence and intimidation, vehicle theft, causing bodily harm, criminal damage, concealment and membership of a criminal organisation.
Following their appearance in court, the judge presiding over the case has ordered five of them to be remanded in custody.
The investigation remains open with the aim of identifying and locating all possible suspects, fully establishing the facts and recovering all the stolen jewellery; as such, further arrests cannot be ruled out, the police state.
Comments (0)
No comments on this article yet.