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A gang of burglars said to have pumped sedative gas into Ibiza luxury villas – and thought to have been behind a terrifying break-in at an island home rented by radio DJ Nick Grimshaw – have been arrested by police.
On August 14, the former BBC Radio 1 DJ was in Ibiza celebrating his milestone 40th birthday, accompanied by his 81-year-old mother, Eileen, and dancer fiancé, Meshach Henry, 27.
The family were reportedly left ‘shaken’ when their rented villa was ransacked while they slept.
At the time, a source claimed that ‘there has been a spate of attacks in luxury villas across Ibiza this summer’.
They added to The Sun: ‘Sadly, Nick’s villa was on the target list – simply due to it being known for being used by high-net-worth clients.
‘The gang would have had no idea who he was. Sadly it’s a case of the wrong place at the wrong time but it’s scary, to say the least.’
Spanish detectives have now sensationally admitted for the first time that knockout gas could have been used by the criminals in the break-in.
They have also linked the gang to ‘at least’ 22 raids on upmarket properties on the holiday island and released chilling footage showing the masked suspects at work.
Three people accused of the burglaries have been held who cops say have been operating in Ibiza since 2019.
The revelation opens up the possibility their targets could have included a number of millionaire famous faces.
Spanish police have not yet officially confirmed they believe the gang held were behind the raid or named other celebs they suspect could have been victims, but the criminals’ identical modus operandi points to them being responsible.
Going public with the admission the gang could have used gas to incapacitate villa occupants, a spokesperson for the Civil Guard confirmed: ‘The Civil Guard has arrested three people belonging to a gang specialising in committing robberies in luxury properties on the island of Ibiza during the summer.
‘They have been linked to at least 22 crimes with the total value of the items stolen exceeding half a million euros.
‘The intruders entered the properties while the occupants were sleeping, always dressed in black and hiding their faces.
‘If they were caught during the break-in, they fled the scene.
‘Many of the victims told police they felt dazed when they woke up, as well as feeling discomfort with dizziness and vomiting, leading detectives to suspect the criminals were using some sort of gas that caused sleepiness.
‘During the investigation detectives in Ibiza were able to track down the homes of the suspects thanks to the localisation of vehicles they were using to commit the crimes, vehicles which had previously been stolen.
‘This week a property was searched and several objects related to the robberies which had been reported missing, including designer watches, sunglasses, designer bags, mobiles and cash, were found.
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‘Officers also seized clothes the suspects used to perpetrate the crimes. The three people arrested are two men and a woman.’
The two men that have been held are both Albanian and the woman is Romanian, with the men believed to be the ones remanded in prison on the orders of a judge, while the woman has been released on bail pending ongoing inquiries.
‘They have already appeared before a judge in court and two of them have been remanded in custody and continue to be investigated for at least 22 robberies and thefts inside houses,’ the spokesperson added.
‘The total amount of the items stolen has been estimated at around €548,500. Police information points to the gang being in Ibiza since 2019.’
None of the suspects have yet been named and they have not been formally charged with any crimes. The investigation is likely to last several months.
Following the incident, Celebrity Gogglebox star Nick was absent from social media and has not yet addressed the terrifying ordeal publicly.
He did, however, post on Instagram to mark the big 4-0, sharing a snap of himself smiling while lounging topless in the sun.
His caption read: ‘waking up 40 ✨’
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