Mossos d'Esquadra of the Investigation Unit of the Eixample police station in Barcelona, arrested three men aged 53, 45 and 44 years old on October 11 in Badalona (Barcelonès Nord) as alleged perpetrators of the crimes of robbery with intimidation, detention illegal, usurpation of public functions and trespassing. One of them, also for a crime of illegal possession of weapons for finding a 12-gauge shotgun and not having a license to have it. They all pretended to be police officers.
On September 16, the victim contacted, through a private-to-individual trading application, the alleged seller of a fountain pen. After an entire negotiation process, they reached an agreement and decided to meet on the 19th to make the transaction effective at the victim's home.
After meeting to review the product, the victim decided not to purchase the pen, so he accompanied the supposed seller to the property's entrance, but before leaving the home he made a nervous call to someone. In a few minutes, three men identifying themselves as police officers approached and handcuffed both the victim and the alleged seller and made them enter the interior of the home again. The detainees stated that they had a court order to search the apartment and search for a watch valued at 800,000 euros, which had supposedly been stolen.
The three individuals simulated a police action in which they searched the entire home in search of objects, supposedly covered by this court order, and finally took jewelry, a watch, cash and coins.
They later left with the alleged seller, as they indicated that he had to accompany them and the victim was informed that they would send him a judicial summons to be able to appear before the judicial authority and thus recover the seized objects.
On September 21, the victim reported these events at the Eixample police station in Barcelona and an investigation began. Thanks to the investigations, the agents were able to identify the alleged seller and two of the false police officers, and they are working to identify the fourth author.
Early on October 11, agents from the Eixample investigation unit in Barcelona, together with members of the Sàrria investigation unit in Barcelona, citizens security forces from Badalona and agents from the Special Intervention Group (GEI), an entry and search device in a home in Badalona where the three perpetrators were arrested
The operation involved objects related to the criminal act, a fake police kit consisting of an airsoft gun, a Civil Guard credential, two sets of handcuffs and a police priority light; gold jewelry and coins; a 12-gauge shotgun with three hunting cartridges; a passport, a driving license and headphones that come from another home robbery committed in the Sant Martí district in August.
The three detainees had a large record of crimes against property and in some specific cases of violent robbery crimes. The authors were brought to justice before the acting Court of Badalona on October 13.
