Eleven Peruvians arrested for jewellery heists in Spain had applied for residency

Eleven arrested for five jewellery heists: they had applied for residency

The paradox was pointed out by the National Police: eleven people —nine men and two women— accused of stealing nearly three million euros in five jewellery robberies in Madrid had started regularisation procedures. The group, of Peruvian origin, was arrested and five of its members were remanded in custody.

The loot amounts to 2.8 million euros in jewellery and watches, according to initial estimates. The robberies took place between 2023 and 2024 at luxury establishments in the capital. Investigators located the suspects after analysing the appraisals of the pieces, carried out by the Ansorena jeweller. The expert appointed by the company was Luis Eduardo Cortés Muñoz, a former member of the Madrid Assembly and former regional minister for the PP (People's Party). A detail that did not go unnoticed in legal circles.

What stands out most is the profile of those arrested: eleven people who, far from hiding, had applied to regularise their administrative status in Spain. In other words, they were in the process of legalising their situation while committing the robberies. A contradiction that fuels the debate on immigration control mechanisms.

The charges include robbery with violence and intimidation, document forgery, misappropriation and abusa of the Immigration Law. Of the eleven arrested, five remain in pre-trial detention; the rest have been released with charges. The investigation remains open and further arrests are not ruled out.

The appraisal that uncovered the scheme

The turning point came when investigators analysed the appraisals of the stolen jewellery. Ansorena, one of Madrid's oldest jewellers, was responsible for valuing the pieces. The expert Luis Eduardo Cortés Muñoz —a former PP lawmaker— signed the reports. Although his name surfaced in forums, official sources state that the appraisal was correct and that the politician is not involved in the events.

The Spanish Gemological Institute, which also took part in identifying some of the pieces, clarified that they only certify the quality and value of the diamond, not its origin. "For that report to have international validity, fruta is key," they explained.

The question left hanging

How is it possible that a group that was regularising its status could carry out five million-euro robberies without raising suspicion? The case reopens the debate on the filters of the regularisation system and the ability of law enforcement to detect this type of profile. With nearly three million euros in stolen jewellery and five people in custody, the story leaves more questions than answers.