The National Police and the Mossos d'Esquadra have dismantled a criminal group that deceived audiovisual content creators by offering them work on a music video to steal their equipment. The assaults took place in Badalona, Terrassa, Madrid, and Coslada, with a total loot of around 70,000 euros.
A criminal gang specialised in stealing audiovisual equipment has been dismantled in a joint operation by the National Police and the Mossos d'Esquadra. The group, which had been operating since last year, contacted camera operators through social media and offered them a supposed job to shoot a music video, but in reality, they assaulted them at gunpoint to steal their equipment. Four of its members have been arrested and another five are under investigation.
The criminals rented properties specifically for each occasion and arranged to meet the victims at the building's entrance. Once inside, two individuals wearing balaclavas and scarves — supposedly the costume for the music video — awaited them armed with guns and knives. They would tie them up, beat them, and steal all their work equipment, especially video and photo cameras. Additionally, they threatened them to obtain the passwords for their mobile phones and online banking.
The total loot from the four assaults amounts to around 70,000 euros. The robberies occurred in Badalona, Terrassa, Madrid, and Coslada, demonstrating the gang's ability to move around. After each robbery, the assailants would flee, leaving the victim tied up and warning them that they would not be able to leave for two hours. They would later recover their phone, which the criminals left on a bin in the street.
The investigation began following the victims' reports, which allowed the authorities to link all the cases to the same criminal group. Agents discovered that the gang was very organised and conducted prior planning to avoid detection: they hired new phone lines and bank accounts in the names of third parties to leave no trace.
The detainees, whose ages and nationalities have not been disclosed, were arrested in three raids in Madrid, Fuenlabrada, and A Coruña. During the searches, thirteen kilos of hashish, more than 20,000 euros in cash, the clothing used in the assaults, ten mobile phones, an electric stun gun, and a car were seized. Two of the arrested, considered the leaders of the group, have been remanded in custody.
The four detainees are accused of belonging to a criminal organisation, robbery with violence and intimidation, illegal detention, kidnapping, and bodily harm. The police do not rule out further arrests in the coming days, as the investigation remains open to locate other possible accomplices and recover some of the stolen material.
For audiovisual content creators in the province of Barcelona, this case serves as a warning about the risks of accepting jobs from strangers via social media. Authorities recommend always verifying the identity of the contractor and, in case of doubt, contacting the police before attending a meeting in a private location.
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