The Guardia Civil of the Region of Murcia, in the framework of the operation ‘Bifloro’, has developed an investigation to identify and arrest those responsible for the distribution in Murcia of several electric bicycles stolen in Madrid, which has culminated in the dismantling of a criminal group, four of whose members have been arrested as alleged perpetrators of the crimes of theft with force, receiving, concealment and membership of a criminal organisation.
The Benemérita has recovered and returned to their rightful owner 12 of the 33 bicycles stolen in Getafe (Madrid) – valued at 135,000 euros – with the value of those recovered in Murcia being 40,000 euros, according to sources from the Benemérita in a statement.
The investigation began in Santomera, when the Guardia Civil learned of the repair of an electric bicycle of dubious origin in a workshop in the municipality, so it was investigated to know the identity of the owner.
The agents found out that it was a resident of the Madrid municipality of Getafe who last June reported the theft of 33 units from a warehouse he owned, all of them mountain and road bikes with electric propulsion systems similar to the one recovered, valued at 135,000 euros.
This information led the Civil Guards to suspect that the recovery of this first bicycle in Murcia was not the result of chance and that other bicycles stolen from the warehouse in Madrid could have arrived in the Region.
The evidence obtained during the investigation phase led to the identification of a first suspect, a resident of Meco (Madrid), as the presumed perpetrator of the theft in Getafe and to link him, in the criminal sphere, with other individuals based in Murcia.
In the Murcian districts of Casillas, El Esparragal and Lorquí
The detailed study of the information obtained led the Civil Guards to close in on some of the people linked to the alleged ringleader, some of whom ran second-hand goods stores.
Despite the fact that the suspects provided erroneous or inaccurate information, with the supposed intention of evading their involvement in the purchase and sale of the stolen goods, the agents identified the merchandise and verified that the legal owner was the complainant.
In this way, the Benemérita recovered 12 mountain and road bikes, motor-driven and valued at 40,000 euros, which have been returned to their rightful owner who travelled from the Spanish capital to Murcia to identify and recover his goods.
Operation ‘Bifloro’ has culminated in the arrest of four people – men, of Spanish nationality and aged between 37 and 54 – as alleged perpetrators of the crimes of robbery with force, receiving, concealment and membership of a criminal organisation.