Gang arrested for armed robberies on shops and homes owned by Chinese

Material found at gang's homes
(Photo: Policía Nacional)

Allegedly also perpetrated robberies in Gibraltar

LA LÍNEA (Press release) Earlier this week the National Police arrested seven people allegedly belonging to a gang specializing in armed robberies on shops owned by members of the Chinese community. The gang, six men and one woman, was based in La Línea, and all the arrested members are residents there. The arrests came after the police had received complaints from Chinese residents last year, most of them during the summer. So far, the police have been able to clear 19 such assaults. All the members, except the woman, who is the partner of the gang boss, have police records and, although not all members took part in all the robberies, who did what where and when has been established, according to Inspector Ana Jiménez, who heads the police's Group One and lead the investigation. Their modus operandi was similar in all cases:>>>having watched their targets for a period of time, they would wait until closing time and enter the premises wearing balaclavas or motorbike helmets and armed with home-made firearms. The police combed all the shops and homes involved, and several more, to collect CCTV recordings. Eventually, the gang members were identified and court authorization was received. Their homes were searched, revealing numerous items used to make their own firearms as well as bullets. Inspector Jiménez also said that the gang was "very cautious" and took extreme measures to protect themselves, which leads her to believe that the gang perpetrated other as yet unidentified robberies, including at least one in Gibraltar.