In what seems to be straight out of an action movie script, a group of criminals carried out a carefully planned robbery of the jewelry store Leandro & Mijaíl Joyería SRL in the early hours of October 31st, in Ciego de Ávila, Cuba.
In just a few minutes, the thieves drilled through a wall, disabled the alarm system, and took all the jewelry inventory, leaving behind only the echo of a business effort that vanished into the darkness of night.
A surgical blow
The robbery was not an impulsive or amateur act. The criminals acted with surgical precision: they opened a hole in the side wall of the building, entered through a staircase that connects to the interior lounge of the business and, most disturbingly, disabled the alarm system without making a sound or alerting anyone in the area.
“They knew what they were doing,” said one of the owners in a video posted on the business's official account. The images from the security cameras show the assailants fully covered, wearing hoodies and what appear to be makeshift masks on both their hands and feet, in order to avoid leaving any traces. They also wore gloves.
“It was the effort of many years of work. In 10 to 15 minutes, they took everything,” lamented the visibly affected businessman.
The loot and the meticulous selection
According to the owners themselves on social media, the thieves did not just steal indiscriminately; they carefully selected the items of highest economic value, ignoring less valuable articles.
This action reinforces the hypothesis that the thieves had prior knowledge of the inventory and the internal workings of the business.
The jewelry store, located at 15 Marcial Gómez Street, had an extensive catalog of fine jewelry that had been promoted through its digital platforms. The owners stated that the stolen merchandise represented over a year of investment and labor.
"We hope that the customers who had pending pickups understand us," they wrote in an official statement.
The impact is not only economic; it is also moral and contractual, as the theft compromises the deliveries previously agreed upon with the clients.
Beyond the material losses, the emotional blow was devastating. The partners of the jewelry store did not conceal their sadness and frustration.
"It was hard to know that all our sacrifice was taken away," they confessed.
Nevertheless, one of them expressed his determination not to give up, turning to faith as a source of resilience: “God has purposes, and if God took something from us, it is because He will give us more.”
The community of Ciego de Ávila reacted with indignation and solidarity. Dozens of comments on social media offered words of support, condemned the rising insecurity, and called for justice.
Users shared images of the alleged culprits, captured by the cameras, and appealed to the collective memory for identification. Some even pointed out that the gait or physical build of the suspects could provide clues about their identity.
Ongoing investigation and well-founded suspicions
So far, the Revolutionary National Police (PNR) has identified two possible suspects linked to the case, according to statements from the affected businessman. However, no official details have been released regarding arrests or the potential recovery of the stolen goods.
The owners suspect that the criminals could be individuals who had a deep knowledge of the location, which would explain the detailed understanding of the security system, access through strategic points, and the precise identification of the most valuable jewelry.
A reflection of the growing insecurity
The case of the jewelry store Leandro & Mijaíl is not an isolated incident, but rather a symptom of the increasing vulnerability that small private businesses in Cuba face. The lack of resources to strengthen security systems, the limited police response to complex crimes, and the precarious physical infrastructure of the shops make them easy targets for increasingly organized criminal networks.
In cities like Ciego de Ávila, where the rise of private entrepreneurship has started to gain ground in recent years, theft calls into question the state’s capacity for protection and response to an increasing criminal phenomenon.
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