The La Unión de Mislata society has called for urgent security talks with the local mayor after 27 competition birds were stolen
Añádenos en Google One of the thieves recorded by a security camera in the middle of a robbery. (LP)V. L./J. M.
Mislata
02/06/2026 a las 08:12h.Thieves have stolen 27 racing pigeons worth thousands of pounds from a sports club in eastern Spain.
Two hooded intruders raided the municipal flying grounds ... of the La Unión de Mislata Pigeon Racing Society in Valencia at around 11.15pm last Thursday.
CCTV footage shows the suspects scaling a perimeter wall before breaking into the competition birds' enclosures one by one.
The incident marks the sixth time the council-owned facility has been targeted by thieves this year.
Francisco José Pascual, president of the local club, expressed his deep frustration over the recurring security breaches.
"We spend months breeding and training these specimens," Pascual said. "In one fell swoop, they tear away our hopes. But the worst part is the reoffending.
"You feel completely helpless because as soon as you replace the birds, they break in again. It also raises serious concerns about personal safety if a member were to cross paths with these thieves."
Club members have already raised the issue with Mislata Council and are seeking an urgent meeting with the mayor, Carlos Fernández Bielsa, to discuss low-cost security alternatives.
The theft is part of a growing wave of high-value pigeon rustling across the Valencia and Murcia regions, where the traditional sport boasts a dedicated following.
In November last year, a similar theft turned fatal when an off-duty National Police officer caught two brothers attempting to steal racing pigeons in the nearby town of Vinalesa. The officer was struck in the head with a stone and died in hospital days later.
In August last year, thieves in Fortuna made off with three prized champion pigeons - named 'Sordo', 'Gran Capitán', and 'Joker' - valued at an estimated 170,000 euros.
Local police are currently analysing the CCTV footage from the latest raid in Mislata as investigations continue.
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