Ten people suspected of being responsible for thefts from Ukrainian refugees have been arrested in Spain, police said. Objects and money were recovered from them for a value of around one million euros.
Those arrested, seven Ukrainians and three Russians, are suspected of having robbed seven homes of Ukrainian refugees who arrived in Spain after the Russian invasion and settled in the provinces of Alicante and Murcia (east) on the Mediterranean coast.
During their operation, the police forces seized objects worth 1.25 million euros, including a collection of stamps whose value is estimated at half a million euros, jewelry and computers .
The spied victims
The suspects “targeted this type of person who often has all their savings and valuables with them,” the Guardia Civil said in a statement. They had installed geolocation systems in the victims’ vehicles in order to be able to follow their every movement.
Spanish police announced in January that they had dismantled a network managing three tobacco factories in which Ukrainians who fled to Spain after the Russian invasion were exploited, “crammed” into makeshift accommodation. This country has hosted some 160,000 Ukrainian refugees since the invasion of Russian forces on February 24, 2022.