The Civil Guard units from Villena and Novelda dismantled a criminal group that targeted roaming vehicle catalytic converters, solving a spate of thefts that affected Alicante and 14 other provinces. During the operation, three suspects were detained in Ibi, where the gang reportedly kept its base, and two more were arrested in Madrid. Authorities confirmed that the 150 thefts caused economic damage surpassing 170,000 euros. Investigators also recovered more than 10,000 catalytic converters seized at two Madrid junkyards, many of them stolen by the gang.
Two of the captured individuals, identified as the ringleader and the head of the logistics operation, appeared in Madrid’s court and were ordered into custody. The three individuals detained in Ibi were released with charges and precautionary measures pending.
One detainee picture captioned as a detainee is shown in a photo footer segment.
The thefts occurred across several provinces including Álava, Albacete, Alicante, Asturias, Badajoz, Castellón, Huelva, Jaén, La Rioja, Lugo, Murcia, Salamanca, Santander, Tarragona and Valencia.
Operation Katabul began last January after a noticeable rise in catalytic converter thefts in Villena and Novelda. Investigators described the gang as a formal criminal organization with a national reach based in Madrid’s Puente Vallecas district and extending information requests to the municipality. The European Union Police Cooperation Agency (Europol) was cited in the investigation.
According to investigators, members traveled weekly across multiple regions to steal catalysts and stayed in remote hotels to operate in several neighboring towns in a single night. One exposed thief was an expert driver who accelerated vehicles to 180 kilometers per hour on intercity roads.
The ringleader and his second-in-command were responsible for securing the vehicles used in the robberies and coordinating where thieves would stay. The gang showed a high degree of specialization in both their criminal methods and their attempts to evade police presence. To avoid surveillance, members moved between Spain and other European countries on a rotating basis.
After the operation on 24 May, the Civil Guard conducted a broader exploitation stage to identify all members and gather enough evidence to prove involvement in the crimes. Two calls were located: one near a building housing the base of operations, and another at a nearby site storing tools used in robberies and stolen materials. In Madrid, the boss and his lieutenant were arrested, while the remaining three members were apprehended at a hotel in Ibi as they returned from stealing various catalysts.
The operation recovered several vehicles used in the robberies, 70 grams of crystal methamphetamine, multiple mobile devices, five mid-range vehicles, approximately 17,000 US dollars, and other currencies in various forms.
The following day, authorities conducted an inspection at a farm near Quintanar de la Orden in Toledo, where an illegal dog breeder was found. Agencies rescued 12 dogs of the American Bully and Czech German Shepherd breeds.
The detainees range from 20 to 47 years old and already hold records for similar offenses. They face charges of membership in a criminal organization, 150 counts of theft, and an additional charge of drug trafficking. Administrative actions have also been taken regarding the operation of dog breeding without the proper permits.
The rise in catalytic converter thefts is linked to increasing prices for metal components such as palladium and platinum, with current prices per gram exceeding 50 and 30 euros respectively. Catalytic converters play a crucial role in reducing vehicle emissions, and the cost of replacing stolen components far outweighs the benefits gained by thieves.