They perform at the doors of exclusive nightclubs, at the exit of restaurants on the Golden Mile or on the sidewalks of the main streets in the center. They are the so-called Rolex gangs, which are used extensively, with methods imported from other countries, to rob wealthy people and take their luxury watches. There are less violent ones, like those in Eastern Europe, but also those in Latin America, which do not hesitate to point guns at their victims and even shoot them.
The Higher Police Headquarters launched a special investigation group, called Cronos, with the mission of investigating cases of this type of robbery that occur in Madrid. The arrests in these months have been many and reveal the level of professionalization of these criminal groups. The motochorro technique comes directly from Venezuela and Colombia. It requires at least three people. One is in charge of monitoring the surroundings of luxury stores and expensive restaurants in districts such as Salamanca, Chamberí and Chamartín, which are those with the highest purchasing power. This scout looks for potential victims, who are chosen by the type of watch they wear. The Roles and Patek Philippe brands are his favorites. These security guards enter the premises where the owners of these accessories are located, which can cost from tens to hundreds of thousands of euros.
Once they are selected and they go out onto the street, they call on their cell phone or signal to the two armed robbers, who are stationed very close. Then, the assailants, hidden with cases and on top of a powerful motorcycle, approach their targets and point their firearm at them, usually the one that is packed in the vehicle. Everything happens in very few seconds; It may be the case, which happens more times than it seems, that the victim resists, and this is when these criminals do not hesitate to hit them in the head with the butt of the gun or even shoot.
This is what happened on April 30, 2023 around two-thirty in the afternoon to Omar Obaid Al Shamsi, when he was walking with his wife and his minor daughter along Don Ramón de la Cruz street (Salamanca). A motorcycle stopped with two individuals and pointed it at them. The woman was wearing jewelry and a 25,000 euro Rolex watch, which was ultimately what they took. Previously, the diplomat tried to avoid the robbery and safeguard the integrity of his family, but the criminals did not hesitate to hit him with the gun and speed away on the motorcycle.
Although this motochorro technique comes from South America, the Neapolitan gangs are not far behind when they come to Madrid to do their robbery season. A 34-year-old Italian was hunted after entering La bien aparecida, a restaurant in the same chain as La Maruca and Cañadío, with cuisine by chef Paco Quirós, on Jorge Juan, 8. A wealthy 58-year-old Mexican woman was having lunch there with her husband and a group of friends when the suspect entered to ‘mark’ a possible victim.
He asked the waiters if they had a VIP area and began recording inside with his mobile phone. He left, but the employees suspected him and saw how he later slapped the Mexican woman on the street, while a criminal consort confronted her partner. The quick call of those witnesses to 091 managed to get the National Police He shackled the Neapolitan at the intersection of Lagasca Street and Alcalá Street. He had stolen a Rolex valued at 35,000 euros, which was recovered.
Moroccans and Romanians
In this type of assaults, the origin of the criminals does determine the ‘modus operandi’, given the case mix, which is not small. The Moroccans who make up these gangs also use violence, although they prefer hand-to-hand combat. The mataleón (grabbing its victims by the neck with the arm and from behind, so that they lose consciousness due to suffocation) is one of the most used techniques. An example involved two North Africans from Parla who went to the center of Madrid to make gold with these watches.
The other method is the ‘ronaldihno’, which consists of standing in front of and behind the goal, at least two people, and making a movement with their legs similar to that of a soccer dribble. It is a way to destabilize the victim and mislead him, when not throwing him to the ground, to take away the desired object. This is seen when young people who are drunk come out of some clubs with a more luxurious atmosphere in the Salamanca neighborhood.
Finally, Romanians resort to ‘amorous’ robbery (they unexpectedly hug or kiss their victims) to take away whatever valuable they have on them.
#Ronaldinho #Motochorro #violent #Rolex #gangs #rob #Madrid
