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Date Published: 25/08/2022
ARCHIVED - Holiday home squatters arrested in Vila Joiosa for extortion plot
The gang demanded 14,000 euros to vacate the Alicante rental properties
Six people have been arrested in the Marina Baixa town of Vila Joiosa for conning holiday home owners out of as much as 62,000 euros in their elaborate squatting scam.
The ‘Atalayas’ operation kicked off in Alicante when a victim reported to the Guardia Civil that they were being extorted by alleged holidaymakers who refused to leave their rental property, and it quickly became apparent that this criminal group had pulled similar stunts all over the province.
The scam was brilliant in its simplicity: a ‘family’ would rent a holiday apartment or villa and refuse to leave on the agreed date unless the owner paid the squatters 14,000 euros. The fraudsters even went so far as to destroy furniture in front of the home owner, threatening worse damage to the property if they didn’t pay up.
"Once they occupied the house, they allegedly refused to leave or abandon it, nor did they want to pay any amount for the use of it. Then they threatened the owners in exchange for very high amounts, telling them that, if they paid them, they would leave and their house it would not suffer major damage," explained a Guardia Civil spokesperson.
According to officials, the supposed leader of the gang was a woman who made first contact with the home owner, renting the property for a few days and collecting the keys. Once they were in the house, her ‘husband’ stepped in, demanding money and issuing threats.
"The squatted properties were constantly occupied by the members of the group who, in turn, gave them to other relatives, in order to guarantee that there would always be people in the houses and avoid being evicted," the Guardia Civil added.
Six gang members have already been arrested and charged with crimes of fraud, misappropriation, extortion, damage and belonging to a criminal group. Four remain in custody without bail.
Squatting is sadly on the rise across Spain, with coastal resorts in the Region of Murcia being particularly hard hit this summer season.
Image: Guardia Civil
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