Two Brits arrested after 15 cashpoints were blown up in the Costa del Sol as police find hand grenades and cash in raids 

  • Pair held during a 4am raid in Calahonda between Marbella and Fuengirola
  • Police officers also found cocaine, gas cylinders and other tools in house
  • The force in Malaga has made catching the cashpoint gang their priority
  • There have been 15 attacks on ATMs in three months in Costa del Sol  

By Gerard Couzens In Spain For Mailonline

Published: 07:29 EST, 11 November 2016 | Updated: 10:34 EST, 11 November 2016

Police in Spain have arrested two Brits suspected of blowing up more than a dozen cash machines in the Costa del Sol area

Police in Spain have arrested two Brits suspected of blowing up more than a dozen cash machines in the Costa del Sol area.

The pair were held during a 4am raid on Wednesday in the resort of Calahonda between Marbella and Fuengirola and were jailed pending an investigation.

Detectives discovered hand grenades during a search as well as cash believed to have come from the raids, electrical cables, gas cylinders and other tools.

Officers in Malaga province had made catching the gang one of their priorities after 15 ATM attacks in just over three months along the Costa del Sol as well as in towns inland.

Two Spaniards were also arrested and one of them has also been sent to jail pending an ongoing judicial probe.

Court sources said the trio were being probed on suspicion of a string of crimes including theft, possession of weapons of war, drugs offences and membership of a criminal gang.

Officers in Malaga province had made catching the gang one of their priorities after 13 ATM attacks in just over three months along the Costa del Sol as well as in towns inland

Four attacks took place in the two weekends prior to the arrests.

In most cases the robbers used explosives to blow up the cash machines and in others acetylene gas to produce the blasts.

The amount of cash taken during the daring raids has not been revealed, although police are understood to be probing the possibility it was reinvested in other activities linked to organised crime. 

Unspecified amounts of cocaine and cannabis resin are also said to have been found in the property where the unnamed Brits were arrested.

The Spanish men were held on suspicion of supplying the Brits with the acetylene gas and acting as intermediaries.

The bank attacks began in July when two Santander Bank ATMs were blown up over a three-week period, two in Malaga and another in nearby Cala del Moral where the bank itself was destroyed because of the amount of explosive used.

Most of the attacks took place at weekends or just before Bank Holidays when traditionally ATMs are loaded with more cash.

The bank attacks began in July when two Santander Bank ATMs were blown up over a three-week period, two in Malaga and another in nearby Cala del Moral where the bank itself was destroyed because of the amount of explosive used

An ongoing police and judicial investigation will now seek to establish whether there is enough evidence to charge the suspects with all 13 attacks they are suspected of at this stage, or if another gang responsible for at least some of the assaults is still at large.

A spokesman for the National Police in Malaga said he was unable to comment as a secrecy order had been placed on the case which is standard practice in the initial phase of a judicial probe and prevents public officials from disclosing information.

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