Spanish police announced Wednesday that they had dismantled a gang of criminals who had burglarized luxury residences in Madrid, including those of footballers Radamel Falcao and Rodrygo, arresting six people.
“Eight burglaries have been attributed to this group since July 2022
,” all targeting luxury homes in the Spanish capital or in neighboring towns, the national police said in a press release.
Among the victims of these thefts are the Colombian Radamel Falcao, who plays for Rayo Vallecano, as well as the Brazilian Rodrygo Goes, striker for Real Madrid, police sources told AFP, without indicating whether other footballers were involved. .
Burglaries prepared on social networks
In order to choose their targets, the criminals
“used social networks, studying photographs and videos from inside their homes that athletes and their entourage published
,” explains the press release.
They thus identified valuable objects and their location, and could also know when the occupants were away from home, the same source continues.
They also went there to study the security systems and see how to break into the premises.
A burglary committed in May 2023 in Alcobendas (town near the Spanish capital), during which luxury watches and jewelry worth a total of half a million euros were stolen, put investigators on the spot. trail of the gang of criminals, according to police sources.
The six people arrested are notably accused of eight burglaries with use of force, theft with violence or intimidation, the use of false documents and money laundering.
Three of them were placed in pre-trial detention.
Police seized ten luxury watches, jewelry, more than 3,300 euros in cash and two air guns.