Alex Trelinski
A GANG of thieves carried out nearly 100 home robberies in the Marina Alta area of Alicante province.
Seven people have been arrested by the Guardia Civil including a Gandia jeweller and his two daughters who would buy and then sell on some of the stolen loot to unsuspecting customers.
Four men carried out the robberies who included the son-in-law of the jewellery shop owner and a second-hand car dealer from Oliva.
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Burglaries were committed in upmarket homes in Benissa, Teulada-Moraira, Els Poblets, and Orba.
The Guardia Civil said they had established that the gang committed 97 home robberies and two violent robberies.
Over 600 pieces of jewellery, 33 luxury watches, cash, four high-end vehicles and tools used in the robberies have been recovered.
Many items have been returned to their owners.
Investigations started towards the end of last year as Els Poblets and Orba residents reported numerous break-ins.
The thieves chose mainly rural properties to plunder in order to reduce the chance of being detected.
They wore masks and used walkie-talkies to communicate to each other.
Homes were broken into with iron bars and sledgehammers, and in two instances, the property owners were held hostage.
