This National Police stoped Alicante three people coming Georgian descent He was accused of forming a traveling thief group specializing in the theft of vehicle catalysts along the coast. Valencian Community. The arrestees, two of whom were jailed after issuing court orders, are charged with stealing 28 catalysts in Alicante and 11 in Valencia’s municipalities of Alzira and Algemesi.
Disjointed group specializing in removal of catalytic converters from three vehicle models. The National Police managed to find some catalytic converters stolen by detainees in Alicante.
police coordination
The liquidation of this criminal organization was carried out after “successful police coordination work” between the police stations of the Northern District of Alicante and the police station of Alzira in Valencia. Both outposts are investigating catalyst thefts in parallel and find that they are the same thieves. They always moved at night and in the same three models of vehicles of a particular brand parked on public roads.
Doubts concentrated on three people Eastern European countries several times at odd hours and near places where such robberies take place, especially San Juan beach area.
The suspects always traveled in the same vehicle and police He managed to get photos provided by a witness who took them while he was stealing one of them. vehicle catalysts.
Alicante Police confirmed the distribution of functions performed by each thief in the footage and the rate at which they stole the catalysts. Investigators attempted to place the suspects’ vehicle in the robbery area on the days when the thefts were committed.
Likewise, agents from the Alzira Police Station in Valencia were simultaneously investigating similar robberies, mostly committed in car parks far from the city center and in cars parked in the morning, taking advantage of the fact that their users parked their vehicles there for a set period of time. A few hours.
The National Police took the action of a member for investigation. Alzira Local Police He said he was off duty and found two people while manipulating the underbody of a parked vehicle. So they were able to identify the thieves and confirmed that they were the same people investigated for the same events in Alicante.
cross investigations
Subsequent analysis of the complaints and surveillance cameras of the locations where any of the investigated incidents took place resulted in the investigation being focused on these two individuals and their investigation overlaps with the investigation conducted in Alicante, so Efforts were combined to disperse this traveling group.
The joint investigation of the two police stations has concluded. arrest of three members of the criminal organization and the recovery of some of the stolen catalysts and a large number of tools allegedly used to commit the thefts after a search of the home of one of those arrested in the city of Alicante.
They are clear for now 28 catalyst thefts in Alicante Y other 11 according to municipal ordinance Alzira and its Algemesi. The detainees are two men and a woman, aged between 38 and 48, who are Georgian nationals. They have been made available Alicante’s court of protection and two people were arrested.
A very valuable piece
According to the police, catalysts are more than an essential part for a vehicle to run. What they contain platinum, rhodium and palladium. These noble metals function as catalytic converters for the control of gaseous emissions in vehicle exhaust systems and are highly desirable on the black market because of their high value, as they are often valued at a higher value than gold on the black market.
For those affected by such crimes, the repair of damage to the vehicle caused by theft is significantly higher than the benefit from the illegal sale of the stolen catalyst, and the price of a new catalyst can fluctuate. Between 300 and 500 euros, or even 700 euros if the car is luxury and 1,000 to 3,000 Euros in the case of larger vehicles; truck or minibus. To this price must be added the labor that will eventually do it. repair can cost 800 to 1,000 euros.
Police tips to avoid these robberies
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If it is not possible to park the vehicle in the garage, try to park in well-lit and crowded areas.
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It is recommended to mark the catalyst with our vehicle’s registration number, VIN number (which is the number that identifies it), or with a special paint, this way the subsequent sale of parts on the illegal market is difficult, and it makes it easier for inspectors to find them in case of theft.
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In a workshop, a lower protective plate can be installed, which makes it difficult for criminals specializing in this type of theft to work.