Three men aged 33, 34 and 38 have been arrested in Torrevieja after a joint operation by the National Police and the Ertzaintza dismantled a travelling criminal network suspected of carrying out home burglaries using the so-called “glue thread” method.

Investigators say the group based itself in Torrevieja and travelled across Spain to commit offences. So far, officers have linked the suspects to 20 burglaries: eight in Alicante, six in Elche, one in Alcoy and five in Bizkaia.

The gang allegedly placed small threads of glue between door frames and doors to check whether homes were occupied. If the markers remained intact after several days, they assumed nobody had entered and struck. Police say the suspects selected properties based on the type of lock and used techniques such as “impresioning”, adapting master keys with aluminium sheets to open doors without causing visible damage.

During a court-authorised search of the Torrevieja property used as their base, officers seized jewellery, watches, cash, keys and tools used to open doors. The men have been remanded to the duty investigating courts in Torrevieja on suspicion of burglary and membership of a criminal group.