The Guardia Civil has successfully dismantled a criminal group specialising in theft at airports, specifically targeting duty-free shops at Alicante-Elche Airport. The operation, known as Operation Rana, led to the arrest of five individuals—three men and two women, aged between eighteen and thirty-eight—who are believed to belong to the group responsible for a series of thefts involving tobacco and perfumes.

The investigation began in early January 2024 when the Fiscal and Border Investigation Unit detected a noticeable rise in thefts at the airport. Through witness statements and collaboration with other airport units, officers identified a structured group that employed a meticulous modus operandi. Members purchased flight tickets to nearby destinations, accessed restricted areas of the airport, and stole goods before leaving the terminal without boarding their flights.

The group’s operations resulted in stolen items valued at a total of seven thousand six hundred eighty-six euros. Surveillance efforts soon identified three members at the airport who were apprehended after stealing over one thousand euros’ worth of products. Meanwhile, another trio was caught just before leaving following a similar theft of duty-free items.

All five individuals face charges of theft and belonging to a criminal group. They have been handed down a sentence of twelve months’ imprisonment, disqualification from voting, and a forty-month prohibition from approaching the airport within five hundred metres.