How luxury watch theft gangs operate in Ibiza

The Specialized and Violent Crime Unit (UDEV) of the National Police in Ibiza targets organized gangs involved in high-end watch thefts. These gangs operate across Europe, particularly in luxury areas like Marina Botafoch, using sophisticated methods to give stolen watches a legal appearance for resale. Led by Officer José Oliva, UDEV has dismantled several gangs, including an Italian group and another comprising mainly French-speaking individuals of Algerian or Maghrebi descent. The criminals often target tourists, exploiting their transient presence to complicate police investigations. Despite the challenges, UDEV has recovered several valuable watches and continues to collaborate with other national police units to combat this crime.