The Policía Nacional carried out an operation on 14 October 2026 in Sotrondio (municipality of San Martín del Rey Aurelio, Asturias) and searched three homes. The investigation was conducted by the Jefatura Superior de Asturias in close coordination with the Jefatura Superior de Navarra According to police, the group used online platforms to advertise supposedly cheap rental properties, demanded advance payments and then cut off contact.
Initial findings suggest that more than 80 people may have been affected; total losses are estimated at over 80,000 euros. Police stressed that these figures are provisional and that further analysis by prosecutors and investigating courts will follow. The case falls within the jurisdiction of a court in Laviana. The Unidad de Guías Caninos of the Jefatura Superior de Policía de Asturias also took part in the operation on site.
The arrested individuals are suspected of commercial fraud. The courts will decide on any charges, remand orders or further coercive measures. Citing the ongoing investigation, the authorities did not disclose names, roles in the alleged operation or details of the evidence.
Police link the case to a series of fraud offences involving fake rental offers, recorded across Spain in recent months. According to investigators, the listings were deliberately advertised at conspicuously low rents to secure quick agreement. Prospective tenants were allegedly pressured to make advance payments, often into private accounts, without a genuine viewing or a valid contract. No properties were actually handed over.
The Jefatura Superior de Asturias and the Jefatura Superior de Navarra say the investigation was coordinated across regional jurisdictions because people affected live in different parts of Spain. The searches carried out in Sotrondio are considered a key step in securing communications records, payment flows and devices used.
The police and the courts intend to provide further details about the alleged group and possible additional locations once initial interviews have been completed. This report reflects information from the police dated 14 and 16 October 2026.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).