Madrid, Spain – National Police arrested seven people within minutes of a robbery at a gold-buying business located at 342 Alcalá Street in Madrid. Two of those arrested, a man and a woman, were dressed as a priest and a nun and were still wearing the disguises when officers intercepted them.

Two of the suspects were carrying out surveillance duties near the scene, while two others fled by car but were stopped on the M-30.

The robbery took place around midday on Wednesday. The group entered the business, located on one of the city’s main thoroughfares, and stole numerous valuable items. The suspects pointed weapons at employees to obtain jewelry and watches.

According to police, “Three people entered the premises, a man and a woman dressed in a habit and a cassock, asked one of the employees to show them a jewelry display, and the third man took advantage of that moment to violently force her into the back room.”

During the arrests, the man dressed as a priest pointed a gun at two police officers and had to be subdued.

The case is the sixth robbery targeting this type of business in the Madrid region in the last month. All were carried out by force in broad daylight despite security cameras and recordings made by passersby.

The suspects were arrested by Group XIII of the Provincial Judicial Police Brigade’s Robbery Unit in collaboration with the Citizen Assistance Group. The two suspects who fled by vehicle were intercepted near the Ventas bridge and collided with a police vehicle.

All seven detainees are Peruvian nationals and are accused of robbery with violence and intimidation. Police seized a firearm and the disguises, which authorities said were of poor quality. Investigators will now examine whether the group was involved in other crimes.

Police are investigating four of the recent robberies, while the Torrelodones case falls under the jurisdiction of the Guardia Civil. Officers are working through several hypotheses and seeking to determine which of the robberies were carried out by the same criminal groups.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download