They targeted magnificent villas in the Madrid area.
Spanish police announced on Wednesday that they had dismantled a gang of criminals who had burglarized luxury residences, including those of footballers Radamel Falcao and Rodrygo.
Six people were arrested.
“Eight burglaries have been attributed to this group since July 2022”, all targeting luxury homes in the Spanish capital or in neighboring localities, said the national police 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. .
Spottings 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.
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— Policía Nacional (@policia) March 13, 2024
They thus identified valuable objects and their location, and could also know when the occupants were away from home, the same source continues.
Also read Footballers, ideal targets for thieves: “We know when they play, what time they train”
They also went there to study the security systems and see how to break into the premises.
Luxury watches and jewelry
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.
In total, the gang is suspected of having gained more than 2 million euros by reselling the stolen goods according to the Spanish daily El Pais.
During the arrest, police seized ten luxury watches, jewelry, more than 3,300 euros in cash and two air guns.