TOLEDO – The Guardia Civil has apprehended five individuals belonging to a criminal gang notorious for their audacious ATM heists in the province of Toledo.
The group, responsible for stealing jewellery and watches worth over €150,000 from homes, took their criminal activities to a new level by attempting to rob two bank ATMs in the town of Borox, employing an unconventional tool – an excavator.
The first ATM robbery unfolded in late May of this year. Then, four masked culprits arrived at the scene with a stolen excavator and a getaway car. One of them skillfully maneuvered the heavy machinery to forcefully extract the ATM. Meanwhile, the others stood ready to plunder its contents.
Fled empty-handed
However, their nefarious plans took an unexpected turn when vigilant residents alerted the Guardia Civil. Faced with the imminent arrival of law enforcement, the thieves fled the scene empty-handed, leaving behind their dismantled target.
Just two weeks later, the gang returned to Borox with the same modus operandi, targeting another ATM in the area. This time, their endeavor bore fruit as they successfully pulled the bank’s safe from its moorings using the excavator. However, their attempts to make a clean getaway were thwarted as they abandoned the stolen safe a few metres from the crime scene.
Bank safe found unopened
Quick to respond, Guardia Civil officers arrived on the scene, discovering the concealed safe, still unopened. Inside, they found €4,000, a small victory for law enforcement.
The investigative efforts of the Guardia Civil’s Organised Crime Unit in Toledo unravelled the gang’s activities, linking the four ATM robbers to a larger criminal network involved in house burglaries dating back to 2021.
23 cases closed
Their audacious foray into bank heists ultimately led to the identification of all gang members, and the closure of at least 23 criminal cases, including bank burglaries, home invasions, vehicle thefts, and drug trafficking.
Of note are two residential burglaries in which the gang managed to steal two shotguns and a pistol.
After weeks of painstaking investigation and gathering sufficient evidence, authorities apprehended all five members of the criminal gang. Subsequent searches of their residences yielded €2,000 in cash.
The detainees have been placed in custody pending legal proceedings, marking a significant victory for the Guardia Civil in their relentless pursuit of justice.
Also read: Two criminal groups specialising in explosive robberies of ATMs dismantled
