Spain - June 30, 2024

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A criminal gang that is believed to have stolen thousands of bronze crucifixes from cemeteries across Spain so they could smash them up and sell them off for the metal have been arrested.

As well as dozens of crucifixes that had not been destroyed for scrap, the cops also discovered a crushing machine with fragments of smaller Jesus statues inside and sacks filled with broken statues of Jesus ready to be melted down weighing 1000 kilogrammes (2,200 lbs).

Operation 'Pasmulo', as the police dubbed the task of taking down the criminal gang that was targeting a number of cemeteries in the towns of the Spanish province of Toledo, solved 19 robberies when they arrested six suspects.

The footage shows dozens of the crucifixes after they were recovered by the authorities after their theft from one of the cemeteries. Cops say that there were at least 2,000 victims of the gang.

During the operation, which took place in the morning of Sunday, 30th June, the Civil Guard recovered 90 crucifixes stolen from the El Casar de Escalona cemetery and after searching the gang's apparent headquarters in the province of Madrid.

They also recovered an image of a Christ and a silver crucifix, documentation related to purchases and sales, as well as other items and cash to the tune of EUR 17,440 (GBP 14,800).