Cheese thieves caught...(and they're not mice)
A gang of thieves operating across Spain has been arrested, after carrying out a string of robberies including a heist that saw them steal five tonnes of goat's cheese.
The gang travelled up to 1,000 kilometres every day, robbing businesses in towns and cities across Spain, from Galicia in the north west, to Córdoba in the south.
After a seven month investigation, police have arrested nine members of the gang - which specialized in robbing telephone shops - on Tuesday morning, wrapping up 27 cases in the process, including the cheese robbery.
The robberies typically took place early in the morning, according to Spanish daily 20 minutos, with gang members disabling the alarms before forcing their way into the businesses.
Once inside, they stole mobile phone handsets, as well as tablets, phone accessories and watches. Police estimate that they stole more than 700 mobile phones, valued at over €140,000 ($154,000) as well as tobacco worth €77,000.
Many of the stolen objects were received by a man with a shop in Madrid, who was also arrested on Tuesday morning, according to police sources.
The first robberies to be reported were in Asturias in 2014, but cases were subsequently reported in places as far apart as A Coruña in Galica and Jaen in the south of Spain.
The thieves targeted other shops in Salamanca, Córdoba and Valladolid, amongst several other towns and cities throughout the country.
The gang veered from their usual target to rob a cheese shop in Candeleda, Ávila, where they stole five tonnes of cheese, put up for sale by the man who received the stolen goods.
Four of those arrested on Tuesday morning have been released, while five members of the gang have been remanded in custody.
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The gang travelled up to 1,000 kilometres every day, robbing businesses in towns and cities across Spain, from Galicia in the north west, to Córdoba in the south.
After a seven month investigation, police have arrested nine members of the gang - which specialized in robbing telephone shops - on Tuesday morning, wrapping up 27 cases in the process, including the cheese robbery.
The robberies typically took place early in the morning, according to Spanish daily 20 minutos, with gang members disabling the alarms before forcing their way into the businesses.
Once inside, they stole mobile phone handsets, as well as tablets, phone accessories and watches. Police estimate that they stole more than 700 mobile phones, valued at over €140,000 ($154,000) as well as tobacco worth €77,000.
Many of the stolen objects were received by a man with a shop in Madrid, who was also arrested on Tuesday morning, according to police sources.
The first robberies to be reported were in Asturias in 2014, but cases were subsequently reported in places as far apart as A Coruña in Galica and Jaen in the south of Spain.
The thieves targeted other shops in Salamanca, Córdoba and Valladolid, amongst several other towns and cities throughout the country.
The gang veered from their usual target to rob a cheese shop in Candeleda, Ávila, where they stole five tonnes of cheese, put up for sale by the man who received the stolen goods.
Four of those arrested on Tuesday morning have been released, while five members of the gang have been remanded in custody.
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