A group of thieves took cash and a safe weighing about 300 kilos from the hotel at the sanctuary of Vall de Núria during the night from Sunday to Monday. The robbery occurred without anyone hearing any noise, according to the Mossos d'Esquadra.
The robbery and the escape through the mountain
The authors placed the safe on a sled with the intention of dragging it to Queralbs, the last point accessible by vehicle. The journey between Núria and Queralbs is approximately eight kilometers and has a drop of 800 meters, with sections covered in snow and ice at this time of year.
At 500 meters from the start of the route, the safe fell down an embankment and ended up in a very difficult access area, where it remains currently. Access to the Vall de Núria is only possible by rack railway or on foot via a mountain path, which makes any movement of heavy objects difficult
Discovery and police action
The establishment's managers did not detect the theft until early Monday morning. It was then that they notified the Mossos d'Esquadra, who traveled to the sanctuary to begin the investigation.
The Catalan police are investigating whether the alleged perpetrators voluntarily abandoned the safe or if the sled escaped from them during the descent. The safe was stopped near the rack railway track, at a particularly difficult access point
Difficulties recovering the safe
The weather conditions have complicated recovery efforts. The area presents intense snowfall and a high risk of avalanches, which limits access for both the Mossos and the hotel managersThe police investigation remains open to identify those responsible for the robbery and to clarify how they managed to access and transport the safe in such an isolated environment and with such adverse conditions