Authorities report a coordinated theft scheme targeting refueling cards used by trucks operated by a shipping company in Alicante. After a recent arrest in the same city for related late night activity, a former employee was identified as the ringleader in a fraud that exploited the company’s fuel access. Vehicles were refueled at a rate of one euro per liter, and the perpetrator then charged those costs to the business or to accomplices who posed as legitimate customers.
The investigation was led by the Economic Crime Group of the Alicante Provincial Judicial Police Brigade following a formal complaint from the shipping company. The suspect, familiar with the day to day operations of the firm, gained access to the truck cabin, copying or duplicating the keys at a time when the vehicle was idle. The scheme took advantage of early morning hours and holiday periods when routine vehicle use was low, allowing discreet access to crucial control tools and the required refueling card.
Once the card was obtained, the suspect examined a customers list associated with the card to identify possible targets. He allegedly claimed a familial link to a shipping company owner to justify the operations and to reduce suspicion. He argued that the business would lose funds if the refueling were not used, pointing to a perceived reduction in fuel costs for customers. The fraud involved charging refueling to the card and also honoring cash payments to customers who were effectively participants in the scam. The result was a one euro charge for every liter of fuel that was diverted from legitimate use.
According to investigators, the individuals involved continued to attend scheduled refueling appointments, filling their own vehicles and even loading containers of fuel into jugs. After transfers were completed, the detainee returned to the company premises and used a duplicate truck key to reinsert the refueling card and avoid raising suspicion, even as management noticed unusual spending patterns. This pattern persisted across multiple transactions and created a misleading impression of normal activity within the fleet operations.
Law enforcement described an ongoing effort to monitor the primary suspect as he attempted to blend in during the investigation. The suspect tried to move within the truck parking area using another vehicle, a tactic aimed at concealing his movements and evading detection. In the course of the operation, agents apprehended the main offender who was responsible for selling the fuel at the rate of one euro per liter and four associates who had benefited from the deception. The total impact of the scheme was substantial, affecting multiple fuel transactions across a defined period and prompting a formal response from the authorities to safeguard fleet integrity and deter future incidents [Attribution: Economic Crime Group, Alicante].
The case underscores the vulnerability of vehicle fleets to internal security gaps and highlights the importance of rigorous controls around access to key assets such as refueling cards. It also illustrates how fraud can unfold over weeks, exploiting routine maintenance windows and off-peak hours to minimize disruption while maximizing illicit gains. The investigation remains active, with authorities reviewing additional data and financial records to assess the full scope of losses and identify any other potential participants who may have contributed to the scheme [Attribution: Alicante Provincial Judicial Police Brigade].