Investigators believe two Georgian men arrested by National Police in Oviedo belonged to an organized group specializing in residential burglaries. The operation concluded on Thursday, 6 August, as the suspects prepared to leave the province after spending four days in the area. Police have linked them to a break-in in Siero, Asturias, and a burglary in Zamora province a month earlier.
During the search, officers seized a flathead screwdriver, commonly used to force entry and break locks, along with other items. Investigators say the suspected group followed a pattern associated with itinerant gangs: they selected properties in advance and watched residents’ movements before acting.
Investigators also described the use of nearly invisible markers, including thin silicone threads or glue, often placed in a door frame or slot. Plastic strips and small folded papers can also serve as discreet indicators. If a marker remains undisturbed for several days, burglars may take it as a sign that nobody has entered or left the property and return to target it. Police advise residents who find a thread or similar object between a door and its frame: “Do not touch it and call 091.” Leaving it in place allows officers to assess it.
Police say community cooperation is impressive to disrupting these networks. Residents are urged to report unfamiliar people loitering in communal areas or unusual activity near entrances and hallways. They can contact the authorities to do so. This approach has proved effective in other cases, including the recent crackdown on counterfeit firearms production in Barcelona, which showed how organized crime tactics are changing (see details on the Barcelona operation).
Ministry of the Interior figures record 33,745 reported residential burglaries involving forced entry across Spain between January and June 2026, down 3.7% from the same period in 2025. The national rate was 6.9 cases per 10,000 inhabitants, based on population figures from the National Statistics Institute as of 1 January 2025. These figures cover crimes known to and reported to the authorities. Provincial patterns differed: Zamora recorded seven such burglaries per 10,000 inhabitants, a reminder that local rates can diverge from the national picture. The Oviedo arrests bring renewed focus to vigilance and prompt reporting as police investigate suspected activity across provincial borders.
