Policia Nacional, in collaboration with Europol, have dismantled a criminal pickpocket organisation and arrested 17 members of the same family clan. The arrests took place in various Spanish provinces.
The organisation, based in Madrid and Valencia, repeatedly carried out “criminal campaigns” in Andalucia. They planned to travel to Paris to exploit the Olympic Games. The suspects, also involved in fraud and violent robberies, used false documents and multiple identities to evade detection. The criminal activities were directed by men, who forced the women in the group to carry out the thefts, sometimes using violence and threats.
Investigation findings
The investigation began when agents identified a Bosnian-origin criminal organisation involved in property crimes. Initial inquiries revealed a well-structured group based in Madrid and Valencia, all members of a single family clan. The organisation had a mobile nature, frequently travelling to Andalucia for their criminal activities and planning to extend their operations to Paris during the Olympics.
The thefts, primarily targeting foreign tourists, were carried out by women controlled by the men in the organisation. These women were often brought to Spain illegally and subjected to threats and violence to ensure their compliance.
Financial operations and money laundering
The men in the organisation managed the stolen goods and facilitated the transfer of funds out of Spain, mainly to France, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Italy. They also laundered money using a method known as “pitufeo,” which involves numerous small bank transfers to various accounts.
Broader criminal activities
The investigation also uncovered that the suspects committed fraud using stolen credit cards and engaged in violent robberies when victims resisted theft. They occupied residences where the middle-level members and women thieves lived, complicating their detection. This provided economic savings and flexibility to change their operations centre when needed. Additionally, they carried false documents and used different identities, with no known or declared sources of income.
Europol involvement and operation outcome
Given the investigation’s complexity, Europol specialists supported the police by analysing possible links the suspects might have had in Europe or internationally.
The operation concluded with the arrest of 17 people for alleged crimes, including membership in a criminal organisation, property crimes (theft and fraud), money laundering, document forgery, illegal occupation of property, and human trafficking. Six searches were conducted in Madrid and Valencia.
Seized evidence
Police seized numerous items confirming the criminal activities, including two high-end vehicles and a significant amount of cash, approximately €10,000, and foreign currencies such as Colombian pesos, Swedish kronor, and Indian rupees. They also confiscated jewellery sales invoices and second-hand sales receipts. Thirteen bank accounts in various financial institutions were frozen.