Ukrainian and Russian bandits cooperated in Spain to steal money and valuables from Ukrainian refugees who settled in the country after the Russian invasion, local police said.

According to police, the suspects, seven Ukrainians and three Russians, were chasing the refugees, who took “all their savings and valuables” with them when they fled. Ten arrested broke into seven houses of Ukrainian refugees in the provinces of Alicante and Murthy.

police officers confiscated miscellaneous items worth about 1.25 million euros, jewelry and computers. Among the valuable items was a collection of stamps worth half a million euros.

The perpetrators installed GPS devices in the vehicles used by the victims so they could track their movements.

Spain took in about 160,000 Ukrainian refugees after the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Authorities recently announced the dismantling of a chain that operated three tobacco factories where refugees were forced to work in the slums.

^{Source: APE-MEB, AFP.}