The Guardia Civil have just concluded a police operation which ended with the arrests in Motril of five individuals, all Romanians.

The gang, all aged between 20 and 34, specialised in forcing their way into bars in the province, targeting cigarette and gaming machines.

Using sledgehammers to force their way past security shutters and doors, they took care to hide their identity using ski masks, Once inside, the same tools were used to break open the machines and pocket the coinage inside.

Obviously, just the change in the machines wasn’t the only booty, as they also made off with legs of ham, bottles of expensive spirits and any money left in the till as a float.

The arrested men had allegedly operated in Gualchos, Motril (three times), Almuñécar (twice), Vélez de Benaudalla, Órgiva y Guadix, all between October 2014 and June this year. Their total booty was 24,000 euros.

The police had been following the suspects for some time, gathering information about their identities and movements, before finally catching two of them red-handed inside a cafeteria in Motril.

The arrest of the other three – two men and a woman – followed immediately, also in Motril. The female member was allegedly tasked with changing the coins for notes.

(News: Motril, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)