Two historic robbers robbed in disguise at the time of attempting to storm a bank branch in La Rioja
They have numerous records for robbery with violence and intimidation in a bank, illegal possession of weapons and membership in a criminal organization
One of them was serving a third-degree sentence for similar events and the other had already been arrested by the same group of investigators in 2010.
They kept the clients' IDs to intimidate and threaten them if they warned the security forces
The Civil Guard, in the so-called PRAEDOVA operation, has arrested two historic robbers of Spanish nationality, P.M.A and M.F.A, 60 and 64 years old respectively, at the same time trying to carry out their last plan.
The events took place in the Rioja municipality of El Villar de Arnedo on July 8, when a bank branch was opened early in the morning, these two people were heading to it with the intention of robbing it, hiding their identity under wigs, glasses, balaclavas and gloves, all of which are subject to close and discreet surveillance by the agents in charge of this investigation.
A few meters from the branch, in order to avoid an obvious and real danger to the life and personal integrity of employees and clients that could be found inside the entity, MFA and PMA were arrested therein. moment in which they were preparing to access it, for which there was the fundamental participation of the Special Intervention Unit (UEI) of the Civil Guard. At the time of the arrest, one of the detainees was carrying a short 9mm caliber weapon.
Start of the investigation
The investigation begins after the study carried out by the Organic Judicial Police Units of the Comandancias de Valladolid and Zamora, as well as the Organized Crime Section of the Central Operating Unit of the Civil Guard, the latter in its task of supporting and to coordinate those investigations related to crimes against the patrimony, committed either by organizations or criminal groups, than by their professionalism, by the seriousness of their actions or by the social alarm produced as a result of the violence used in criminal actions committed, require the involvement of the members of this research group.
As a result of this analysis, the agents were able to corroborate the connection of two well-known criminals in the execution of three robberies in banking entities, all perpetrated with violence and intimidation and through the use of apparently always the same firearm.
These robberies were perpetrated in the provinces of Navarra, Zamora and Valladolid, in the past months of February, March and May, respectively, having generated a great social alarm for the danger and forcefulness of their execution.
In this way, a series of index elements were obtained, which placed these two people in different scenarios of the events described, in addition to being the modus operandi of all the robberies very significant for the agents, who already arrested one of these people in 2010 for similar events.
Already focused on these people as priority objectives, as progress was made in the investigation the agents were able to corroborate the movements carried out by those investigated to plan possible robberies, consisting primarily of routines such as the study of routes through small towns with their own vehicles , in order to select possible bank branches to storm, analyzing the security measures available to them, as well as opening and closing times, escape routes, itineraries, etc.
Once the entity was selected, they returned days later to access it, moving for it in vehicles of their property, but this time, changing the license plates for some stolen in the vicinity of the municipality, thus avoiding a possible relationship with the acts.
Already at the door of the branch and characterized with a wig, glasses, gloves and other elements that make identification difficult, one of them accessed inside, then threatening employees and customers with a short weapon and facilitating access to the other component. Once inside, they first tried to act on the branch's safe, and if it was not possible, they would settle for the customer service box.
A common feature in their "blows" was to keep the ID of the customers, to have them identified and threaten them in the event they warned the security forces.
This operation has been carried out by the Organized Crime Section of the Central Operational Unit (UCO) of the Civil Guard, together with the Judicial Police Organic Units of the Valladolid and Zamora Commanders, as well as with different territorial Units of the Zone of the Civil Guard of La Rioja.
The investigation has been directed by the Court of First Instance and Instruction No. 2 of Valladolid, which has issued prison without bail for the two detainees.
For more information you can contact the Press Office of the Central Operating Unit (U.C.O.), telephone 91 503 13 27.
