• 26 graffiti artists arrested in Madrid for painting EMT trains and buses in the 'Filomena' storm

The National Police have arrested 28 graffiti artists for painting Renfe train carriages, causing damage worth 600,000 euros in convoys in the Community of Madrid and the province of Guadalajara.

Among those arrested there are a total of 220 police records,

according to the Superior Police Headquarters of Madrid.

Those arrested are between 21 and 43 years old and call themselves Silver Night in various videos.

Some of them have already been

hunted

by the Police up to 30 times.

To carry out the graffiti, they sometimes stopped the convoy by activating the emergency brake lever, creating risks to the integrity of the travelers and causing significant damage to the railway operator

.

They are considered responsible for

dirtying

185 trains on the railway lines of the Henares corridor.

They dedicate themselves "professionally" to this type of criminal act, according to the Police, and

disclose their actions on YouTube and other social networks

.

Their objective was to paint wagons, leaving their personal stamp on the graffiti, which they used to sign with the epigraph

Getting Up.

The more risky and spectacular their action was, the more value their misdeed was given

, and thus they gained more prestige among the graffiti community. .

They also stained the bridges and acoustic screens of the M-40, M-50 and A-2, among others.

In their interventions they are equipped with

the latest generation folding ladders, as well as other objects to climb into the most dangerous places.

His videos published on the networks have the support of the stores in Madrid and Barcelona where the sprays are sold.

The investigation by the

Mobile Brigade of the National Police

began last October, after receiving several complaints and information reporting an increase in damage through graffiti, coinciding with the recovery of the usual levels of passenger traffic on the rail service.

The agents managed to identify several young people who were attributed the authorship of these graffiti, as well as the activation of the emergency brakes - a technique known as

crowbar

-, which they carried out to later, once the convoy stopped, paint the exterior of the the wagons.

Once the identity of the alleged perpetrators of these events was known, the agents established a device, the last week of November, which culminated in the arrest of 28 people, 26 of them in the Community of Madrid and two more in the province of Guadalajara. .

The agents verified that those arrested were engaged professionally in carrying out these graffiti, with tools such as

portable radials or master keys, which they used to access garages or parking lots where the trains were located

.

In addition, although their actions in themselves were not violent, in the event of being caught red-handed they did not hesitate to confront police officers or private security guards in order to flee and not be identified.

Due to these events, the 28 detainees, 26 men and two women, have been brought before the judicial authority as presumed responsible for crimes of damage and public disorder.

None have gone to prison.

These arrested face at most

a crime of damage for which they are requested up to 15 months in prison

and a fine that is usually about 20 euros a day.

Normally, they usually reach an agreement before the trial, and with a small fine they avoid any type of criminal responsibility.

In addition, they are forced not to go near the Renfe facilities for six months.

On other occasions, they are given the option of not paying the fine in exchange for establishing as a penalty work for the benefit of the community that involves participation in cleaning or repairing damaged goods.

It is really the most effective penalty to make them aware of the consequences of their actions; in this way, it is intended that they internalize respect for public furniture and private property.

A Renfe machine painted by several of the detainees. JSPM

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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  • Renfe

  • Madrid's community

  • Guadalajara

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