National Police officers conducted a sweeping crackdown against illegal vehicle trade, arresting 82 suspects and seizing 58 luxury vehicles in operations spanning more than 20 provinces, according to the General Directorate of Security.
Across Alicante, Almería, Jaén, Madrid, Murcia, and Tarragona, investigators uncovered a highly organized network built from six interrelated hubs. Each hub maintained its own micro-structure while the groups formed nationwide companies to contract for vehicle rental and leasing. Forged documents were used later in schemes aimed at selling vehicles in Spain and across various European markets.
Estimates put the total fraud at more than 10 million euros. Those taken into custody face charges including membership in a criminal organization, fraud, asset concealment, document falsification, extortion, and money laundering, among others.
The probe began last February after a Romanian individual was caught at the Slovenian border driving a car registered to a Spanish rental firm, with a fake driver’s license. The vehicle, registered in Murcia and delivered to the city weeks earlier, was linked to a Barcelona-based manager.
A short time later, another person attempted to cross the same border with a different vehicle, again using forged documents and a fictitious sales contract, tied to a separate Murcia-based manager and another company centered in Almería.
In this manner, two seemingly unrelated companies, operating from Madrid and Murcia, contracted and purchased vehicles for crossing into Slovenia, and investigators noted that the drivers held one‑way tickets, implying premeditated travel and concealment by the same operatives.
Arising from this information, authorities launched arrests and a broader fraud investigation that dismantled up to six illicit vehicle-smuggling centers in Alicante. These centers operated as self-contained units yet remained interconnected, allowing continual detection and detention of members across Spain in Madrid, Murcia, Jaén, Almería, and Tarragona.
The organization’s method involved creating or using multiple companies to perform varied activities, while contracting with offices across the country to lease or rent vehicles. In many cases, private individuals—acting as mule players—facilitated the transactions.
Once the vehicles entered the organization’s control, forged documents and fictitious sales contracts were used to move them abroad, where they were offered at low prices to other criminal networks that later sold them to legitimate buyers. In some instances, the same fraudulent process was applied to vehicles sold within Spain.
Structure of the operation
The group was described as a tightly organized enterprise, with clearly defined roles for its members. Some operatives procured the means to transfer vehicles to the organization, while others handled the promotion and sale of the cars in legitimate markets.
Trusted members sometimes used their real identities to front deals for the organization and to effect changes of ownership, with financial compensation exchanged for their participation.
During the operation, 82 individuals of Spanish and Romanian nationality were detained across multiple provinces, including Alicante (33), Jaén (18), Madrid (11), Murcia (11), Almería (5), Hellín (2), Castellón (1), and Zaragoza (1). Searches targeted residences and corporate offices involved in the schemes.
Authorities also seized 58 high-end vehicles, three tractor units valued together at more than 400,000 euros, more than 24,000 euros in cash, extensive documentation, and counterfeit tools. Investigators identified an additional 50 cars under scrutiny for potential ties to the same fraudulent network. Some passenger vehicles were found with hidden compartments, prompting inquiries into possible links to drug trafficking.
Source: National Police