As part of a joint special operation between Georgian and Spanish law enforcement agencies, 13 individuals have been arrested in Spain under the international operation “CACHABA,” the Ministry of Internal Affairs reports.

According to the statement, the police operation was carried out in close cooperation with the attaché of the Georgian police and was preceded by one year of intensive coordination between law enforcement agencies of the two countries.

The investigation established that members of the criminal group were involved in 27 residential burglaries committed in various regions of Spain. It was also found that the group consisted of two separate branches — members of Georgian origin who directly carried out the burglaries, and a Spanish branch responsible for selling the stolen goods in different cities.

Law enforcement agencies of both countries conducted simultaneous raids in Madrid, Valencia, Guadalajara, and Alicante, across a total of nine different locations.

The investigation is ongoing under Articles 510, 301, and 570 of the Spanish Criminal Code. The crime carries a penalty of up to 8 years of imprisonment.