Civil Guard Dismantles Organized Crime Gang in Tenerife Following €130,000 Spree
Spanish Civil Guard officers have dismantled a highly organized criminal gang in Tenerife responsible for over thirty violent robberies and more than 130,000 euros in damages across the island.
The Civil Guard has dismantled a criminal gang in Tenerife, highlighting the rising sophistication of itinerant crime groups across the Canary Islands. Operation 'Enjambre,' coordinated by Arona’s Court of Instruction Number 3 and the Provincial Prosecutor's Office, led to the arrest of ten people aged 18 to 25. The group is accused of committing over thirty crimes across twelve municipalities.
The financial impact of these crimes exceeds 130,000 euros. This total includes roughly 70,000 euros in stolen goods—primarily gold—as well as the significant cost of repairing damage to local businesses. The gang often used physical violence, including bladed weapons and blunt objects, and employed "ram-raiding" tactics, which left shop owners facing expensive repairs to their properties.
The group was highly organized, using stolen rental cars to quickly break into pharmacies, gas stations, and restaurants to minimize their time at each scene. The Tenerife Judicial Police noted that the suspects were difficult to track, as they frequently wore masks and gloves, changed their clothes, and used fake license plates to hide their identities.
During final raids in Adeje, Arona, and San Cristóbal de La Laguna, police recovered stolen items and a cache of burglary tools, including sledgehammers, crowbars, and bolt cutters. Following their court appearance, three members were remanded in custody without bail, reflecting the severity of their crimes, which spanned from the tourist-heavy south to the capital. This case underscores the ongoing challenge security forces face in tracking mobile criminal groups that operate across dispersed urban areas to evade capture.