A German national implicated in a case of license plate manipulation in a parking area in Elda was detected by Alicante municipal police after authorities followed safety concerns raised at the scene. The suspect remained under scrutiny for alleged crimes in his home country, including drug and arms trafficking, which could carry a lengthy prison term. Law enforcement officials treated the incident as connected to a separate violent robbery reported in Badajoz, influencing the urgency of the case for the national authorities.
According to the Police Station, National Police officers detained the German man as he participated in altering license plates in a parking lot, while presenting himself with a French identity document that appeared forged.
The inquiry began after a citizen alerted officers that some individuals were swapping license plates on cars inside the parking area. A vehicle with a distinctive license plate reportedly entered the lot and minutes later a second vehicle bearing the same plate number departed the premises, suggesting a coordinated effort.
Uniformed officers from the Citizen Service Group entered the lot to verify whether illegal activity was underway. They located an unregistered van and another car bearing German plates parked nearby.
Preliminary investigations linked the vehicle to a violent robbery in Badajoz, with the crime involving intimidation. The identities of two German nationals and a third person remained unknown at that stage.
While investigations continued, a Spanish national at the scene told involved officers that the unregistered van belonged to him and that he had purchased it through an Italian contact who brokered the deal.
The same individual later informed police that the car with German plates beside the van allegedly belonged to his Italian associate, assisting authorities in tracing the suspect’s ownership.
fake identity
Once the owner of the vehicle with the German plates was located, the suspect presented himself to authorities using a French identity card. Due to concerns about the document, investigators proceeded with verification to confirm authenticity, suspecting document manipulation. It was determined that the card shown to the officers was not genuine.
As questions about the individual’s nationality arose, the Scientific Police team conducted fingerprint analysis to confirm the true identity.
Authentication revealed that the suspect was one of two German nationals sought in connection with the robbery in Badajoz, which involved violence and intimidation.
The seized documents included the European Arrest Warrant (OEDE) authorizing transfer to German authorities for alleged forgery, violent robbery, and related offenses involving drugs and arms trafficking. A fifteen-year imprisonment sentence was among the possible outcomes.
Following the initial actions at the Elda-Petrer National Police Station, the SIRENE European Police Cooperation Office confirmed that the individual matched the person sought by German authorities.
The detainee was handed over to the Fourth Central Instruction Court of the Madrid National Court for proceedings related to delivery to Germany under European Judicial Cooperation.