National Police have arrested five members of a paramilitary group allegedly responsible for three raids on a shopping mall in Palma de Mallorca as well as other robberies and illegal detentions.
The detainees include a former UK Special Forces weapons expert, two former Spanish soldiers and a security guard from the shopping mall who provided information to the gang necessary for the planning of the robberies.
The first robbery took place on May 8th 2009, the gang stealing a lorry from a military base and ramming it into the wall of the mall to get at the safe. Their attempt was unsuccessful and they left with nothing.
The second robbery took place on October 2nd 2009, the gang gaining entry through a window and making off with €107,500.
The third assault on the shopping mall was in June 2010 when the gang threatened a cashier with a gun and made off with €176,000.
The gang are also suspected of carrying out a number of other robberies including a violent attack at a residence in 2012 when the home owner was threatened with a knife.