The bustle of people going up and down and many others queuing at the door to be next was so great that at times the residents of the three buildings on Robadors, Riereta and Carretes streets in Raval came to think that they had been installed a drug store. But not. The users of the three points were habitual thieves who came to sell the stolen material. Three reception points that a joint team of the Mossos d'Esquadra and the Urban Guard dismantled on Tuesday.
Three points where seven people were arrested who were later released with charges. The operation is a very important blow to the criminal structure that gives outlet to stolen material in Barcelona, and especially in the streets of Ciutat Vella.
The investigative work credited the constant bustle of thieves with stolen material. But the most surprising thing came later, when on Tuesday the homes were raided and the real loot was discovered. Ten watches of great value, among them one of 12,000 euros already returned to its owner. Nearly fifty phones and some gold. In total and, at a second-hand price, the value of the recovered objects exceeds 155,000 euros, and there were also 63,000 in cash.
All the material was sold abroad, with Algeria being the main recipient country.
Each one of the floors had its managers and they coordinated among themselves, because in some way they had specialized in objects. In Robadors they worked with telephones and computers; in Riereta, basically with jewels and gold; and in Reels, with high-end watches. Now, the investigators will try to link each recovered object with its corresponding complaint to return them.
The Ciutat Vella de los Mossos investigation unit and various investigation and citizen security groups of the Guàrdia Urbana participated in the joint work. For all of them, the large number of stolen objects and cash that the detainees accumulated on the three floors was a surprise. The closure of the three points of purchase will undoubtedly give the neighborhood a good breather.
