Spanish police smash graffiti gang that stopped trains

[MADRID] Spanish police said on Tuesday they have arrested five suspected members of a guerrilla-style graffiti gang that forced trains to a sudden and dangerous halt to paint over carriages in lightning operations.

The five are believed to belong to a gang called the "Zorros Viejos", or "Old Foxes", which is accused of causing over 200,000 euros (S$300,480) worth of damage to train carriages across the country.

The well-organised group would stop a train dead by pulling its security levers "which caused the convoy to break violently, with the consequent risk of injuries to passengers," police said in a statement.

"Once the train was stopped they would open and block the doors and descend to the tracks, where they would paint the carriages," the statement added.

Police said the group filmed their activities and posted the videos on social media sites.

The five suspects have been charged with four offences of public disorder and 54 counts of damage to property.

They are thought to have acted in Madrid, the central city of Cuenca, the Mediterranean port of Valencia and Cadiz in the southwest.

AFP