For many, German import cars have long been linked to affordable luxury that some buyers in Spain and nearby markets find hard to resist. The idea is simple: a vehicle imported from Germany can be cheaper, often accompanied by stories of reliability and solid performance. But questions arise about the technical vehicle inspection documents, the ITV. In the Elche district of Torrellano, authorities reported a case where a woman was detained in a suspected ITV fraud scheme. The National Police said the case involves forged documents and counterfeiting connected to vehicle inspections.
The investigation began last May with the arrest of two German nationals driving cars that carried falsified German MOTs. The National Police assigned detectives from the Alicante Provincial Police Station within the Illegal Vehicle Traffic Group, known as UDYCO, to probe smuggling related crimes and to identify where MOTs were being faked. The aim was to uncover the networks behind these falsifications and stop the practice at its source.
Car park
Following several checks, officers located the vehicles at a parking facility in the Torrellano area. It appeared that the ITV defacements might be carried out within this car park, prompting an on-site inspection of the premises. Inside, investigators identified as many as ten German vehicles whose MOTs had been forged or altered.
The operation was coordinated through the Alicante Provincial Police Station. Police sources noted that the owners of the affected cars were contacted and that many owners reported that the parking lot operators warned them that their ITV was expired or close to expiry and offered a renewal service. In many cases, owners paid between 300 and 370 euros for renewal assistance, depending on the circumstances.
German police
Simultaneously, officers in charge of the case reached out to German authorities who confirmed that the vehicles in question did not pass ITV in Germany. In some instances the inspections had already expired by years. A message was also recovered showing a conversation between the car park operators and a customer, in which the operators offered to facilitate the MOT process.
Footage from the scene and related documents showed the existence of a broader pattern. Investigators later located the two owners of the parking lot, a man and a woman with Spanish and German nationality, aged 49 and 40 respectively. All steps in the investigation and the actions taken by police were presented to the competent court for review and to ensure proper legal oversight as part of the inquiry process.
Vehicles seized during the operation were documented and assessed as part of the case, underscoring the effort to prevent further distribution of vehicles with invalid ITV records. The police emphasized that the actions targeted a network that manipulated ITV checks and created a pathway for unsafe vehicles to circulate on public roads.
They discover a network dedicated to falsifying periodic ITV audits
The investigation revealed that a broader network operated to undermine periodic ITV audits. This network coordinated efforts to produce and disseminate forged inspections, enabling vehicles to travel with invalid or expired certifications. The scale of the operation pointed to a systemic issue rather than isolated incidents, triggering coordinated actions across multiple jurisdictions to stem the risk to road safety and public trust in vehicle documentation.
5,000 vehicles in Crevillent
Over time the ITV problem has grown as older vehicles remain on the road and some owners seek illegal shortcuts to stay mobile. In one December operation, authorities uncovered a Crevillente network that allowed about 5,000 vehicles to circulate with ITV records that never met the required safety standards. The investigation highlighted the dangers posed by such schemes and the importance of robust verification processes to protect drivers and communities alike.