BRONZE crucifixes stolen from cemeteries around Toledo province have been recovered from vehicles and homes.
The sacred items were going to be broken up and melted down to get cash for the metal.
Searches in the Madrid area recovered a one tonne sack stuffed with crucifixes.
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The Guardia Civil has arrested five people on multiple robbery charges and two others for receiving the stolen goods ahead of ‘processing’.
A van was searched in Talavera de la Reina as part of an operation to recover the crucifixes which were stolen from 19 towns in Toledo province.
The Guardia retrieved 90 artefacts that were all taken from the El Casar de Escalona cemetery.
That discovery led to the big Madrid find as well as documents, a mechanical shredder with small remains of crucifixes, and €17,440 in cash.
The gang would break up and then melt down the mainly-bronze icons before selling the metal by weight.
Authorities said that around 2,000 people had been impacted by having the crucifixes taken from cemeteries.
