CARTAGENA / The Civil Guard dismantles a criminal organization dedicated to the theft of batteries

Source: Ministry of the Interior

The eight members of the gang have been arrested, including a minor, to whom the alleged perpetrator of the crimes of robbery with force, theft, reception, havoc and belonging to a criminal organization attributed them.

During the operation, researchers have recovered more than two tons of stolen objects, mainly energy accumulators

So far, more than thirty crimes have been clarified

The Civil Guard of the Region of Murcia, within the framework of the operation ‘Borne II’, has developed an investigation to clarify a series of subtractions of accumulators of energy, among other effects, which has resulted in the dismantling of a criminal group integrated by eight people, settled in Cartagena and to which is attributed the alleged responsibility for the crimes of robbery with force, theft, reception, havoc and membership of a criminal organization.

The operation, which is framed in the ‘Plan against the abductions in agricultural and livestock farms’, so far has allowed to clarify 32 criminal acts committed in companies, farms, farms, telecommunications stations, drinking water tanks, homes and vehicles agricultural, among others, the municipalities of Cartagena, Fuente Alamo, La Union and Murcia.

Members of the ROCA team (against theft in the field) of the Benemérita began the operation last summer after detecting a considerable increase in the removal of batteries in places as diverse as agricultural vehicles, telecommunications stations or strategic drinking water supply facilities. facts that had caused some social alarm, not only in the agricultural sector but in other business associations.

The first investigations, aimed at clarifying the facts with the arrest of the perpetrators and the recovery of the stolen effects, were carried out in the places where the crimes were committed. The technical-ocular inspections determined that they were materialized by theft or robbery with force, the latter also with considerable damage to the facilities, mainly in telecommunications stations and drinking water supply, leaving some of them without service .

The main objective of the criminal activity investigated was the removal of batteries, whose management corresponds to the scrap yards, so that in parallel to the successive technical-ocular inspections, the investigators carried out a regular series of inspections in these public establishments with the purpose of detecting any type of transaction of these objects.

The evidence obtained during the operation allowed the agents to verify that after the crimes investigated there was a large organized group of people with a broad criminal history, based in the Cartagena municipality and who had a considerable hierarchy.

The criminal activity began with the search of its objectives, mainly accumulators of energy, but also subtracted tools, copper, air conditioners, water meters and personal effects, among others.

Once located, part of the criminal group materialized the abduction, using force if necessary and regardless of the damage they could cause.

Preferably they selected isolated places easily accessible and that allowed them a quick escape in the case of being detected. Once the criminal act was committed, the members of the criminal group hid the stolen objects in abandoned places so that, after a reasonable period of time, they could be sold in recycling centers without raising much suspicion.

The investigators have detected that the criminal group now dismantled commercialized the stolen objects in, at least, five recycling centers in the area. To avoid attracting attention they made numerous sales but of small amounts of material and had the help of a scrap dealer, who has also been arrested.

Once all the necessary signs have been obtained and all the members of the criminal group have been identified, the Civil Guard established a search mechanism that has culminated in the last few days with the location and detention of the eight members of the criminal organization as alleged perpetrators of the crimes. of robbery with force, theft, reception, havoc and belonging to a criminal organization.

In the course of the operation, researchers have recovered 2.1 tons of stolen objects, mainly batteries or accumulators of energy from telecommunications stations, although copper has also been seized, truck batteries, pruning and seeding carts, tools, appliances of air conditioning of the substations, water meters and personal effects. All of them, after being brought to justice, have been returned to their legitimate