Three held over bronze thefts from cemetery

Guardia Civil has arrested three men over the theft of bronze ornaments and sculptures from the municipal cemetery in Pulianas, where investigators say items were taken during the last weekend and later traced to a shop.

A fourth man, aged 64, has been handed to the courts as a suspected receiver of stolen goods. The three arrested men are aged between 28 and 48.

The case was led by the ROCA team from the Guardia Civil company in Armilla after officers received information about the missing items. They searched businesses where the objects may have been sold and found several pieces matching the stolen property.

Those items were seized for comparison. Investigators also used CCTV footage and witness statements to identify the suspected offenders, according to the force.

Guardia Civil said the stolen ornaments, sculptures and related damage are valued at about €20,000. So far, 14 complaints have been filed, although officers say more people may still come forward as some recovered pieces have not yet been recognised.

Police Local officers in Pulianas helped identify possible victims, allowing investigators to match recovered items with families affected by the thefts.

The three detainees were taken before the duty investigating court in Granada.