Vehicle Cloning Gang Arrested

The Guardia Civil, within the framework of the PIMA-KRADSTI operation, arrested four people and investigated a fifth as alleged perpetrators of the crimes of motor vehicle theft, document falsification and membership in a criminal organisation, to whom they attribute the continued theft of medium to high-end cars, for their subsequent counterfeiting and illegal introduction into Spain.

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The operation began a year ago, when the first signs led the Guardia Civil agents to the trail of a criminal group based in different parts of the provinces of Alicante and Valencia. The investigators found out that it was a perfectly structured organisation, with a well-defined criminal methodology.

Later, they corroborated that, after stealing the vehicles, they made modifications to the chassis and falsified the number plates, passing them off as another vehicle of the same make and model. To do this, they used information on damaged vehicles or vehicles in circulation, both in Spain and in other countries. They opted for medium-high range vehicles that were popular for sale, which made it easier for them to market them, obtaining quick and high profits.

On March 6, the operation was carried out, carrying out six searches, two of them in the industrial warehouses in which the chassis and license plates were handled, located in Benissa and Jávea. The other four were carried out at the homes of the alleged perpetrators, in Denia, Jávea, Teulada and Gandia.

As a result of the operation, the Guardia Civil has arrested four men and investigated another. All of them are between 19 and 50 years old and are charged with the crimes of motor vehicle theft, document falsification and membership in a criminal organisation.

They used cutting-edge tools

In addition, 13 vehicles that had been stolen in different locations in the provinces of Alicante, Madrid and Valencia have been recovered.

As for the other effects intervened, it should be noted that, to carry out the criminal activity, the gang used advanced technological machinery and tools for opening and cloning vehicle keys and control units, and frequency sensors and inhibitors. The die-cutting machines used to manipulate the chassis and the machinery for manufacturing number plates, among other effects, have also been seized.

The investigation has been developed jointly between the Guardia Civil, as well as the Police of Bulgaria, Sweden, Poland and EUROPOL. For the searches, we have had the collaboration of the USECIC of Torrevieja and the different Territorial Units of the Company of Calpe.

The proceedings have been made available to the Investigating Court number 2 of Denia (Alicante).

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