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Nine people arrested
The National Police dismantle in Madrid a family clan dedicated to the theft and dismantling of vehicles
§ The organization was divided into four levels, each of which was responsible for a specific part – the theft of vehicles, the alteration of identifying elements and cutting, providing logistics and sales material and, finally, transport to different countries from Africa and Europe- § Agents have detected that the dismantled network also stole off-road vehicles "on request", being transferred to the Campo de Gibraltar where they were sold to organizations dedicated to drug trafficking
§ In the four registers carried out in homes and warehouses in Madrid and Toledo, a set of dies has been intervened for the falsification of license plates, switchboards and sophisticated material for stealing vehicles such as master keys and cylinder extractors § Up to now 15 robberies of vehicles are attributed to them and an economic loss of 600,000 euros, in an investigation that has counted with the collaboration of the Attaché of the Interior of Spain in Poland
June 30, 2019.- National Police agents have dismantled in Madrid a criminal organization dedicated to the illicit traffic of vehicles. The agents have arrested nine people in Alcorcón (Madrid) and have practiced four searches in two homes in Alcorcón and Valdemoro and in two warehouses in Ocaña (Toledo) and Valdemoro. The organization, which was formed by Polish citizens, members of the same family, is attributed 15 vehicle thefts and an economic loss of 600,000 euros. The stolen cars were mostly broken up and sent by vans to Poland, where they had the necessary infrastructure to deliver the goods. In addition, the investigation has counted on the collaboration of the Interior Attaché of Spain in Poland.
Two ships used for the cutting
The investigation began at the end of 2018 when the agents learned that in the Madrid district of Hortaleza they had intercepted a vehicle, circulating at high speed, with two occupants inside who had numerous records of vehicle theft. They also intervened various tools that are generally used for this purpose.
After the first steps, the agents observed that the investigated frequently went to a ship located in Ocaña (Toledo). In addition, in the vicinity of the ship they detected a van that, presumably, they would be using to transport parts of the stolen vehicles abroad. In later dates, investigators learned that the van had been inspected at a police checkpoint on the toll road of the old AP-1 motorway. Between its load they located four motors, boxes of changes of vehicles with all the numbers filed or manipulated, four hoods, defenses, shock absorbers and mirrors of a mark and concrete model. In addition, agents discovered that the organization had a second ship in Alcorcón.
They stole vehicles for their cutting into ships and transport in vans to Poland to release the goods
With the progress of the investigation, the agents verified that the organization consisted of several members, of Polish origin, of the same family. They were dedicated to the theft of vehicles that were cut, in their majority, and later sent in vans to Poland, where they had the necessary infrastructure to release the merchandise. For this, they made use of false invoices for the purchase of scrapping material as well as forged documents, under the protection of screen companies, reason for which they simulated the lawful origin of the articles they transported.
The investigators observed that the organization was perfectly structured and that the detainees exercised, within it, a specific function in which they had specialized. On the one hand, there were those who were dedicated to the theft of vehicles. On the other hand, those in charge of altering their identification elements and of making the breakthroughs. Other members of the organization provided logistics and sales material and, finally, there were those who dealt with transport to different countries in Africa and Europe. The investigated, in addition, worked under the protection of screen companies that gave them a legal appearance.
They also stole custom off-road vehicles to sell to Moroccan citizens
In addition, the agents discovered that those investigated were also involved in the theft of off-road vehicles on request and then sold to citizens of Morocco and transferred to the Campo de Gibraltar area. There, these types of vehicles are used by organizations dedicated to drug trafficking to transport narcotic substances. Specifically, in the province of Malaga, agents recovered two SUVs that had been brought there by drivers that the organization had hired.
15 vehicle thefts and an economic loss of 600,000 euros
In the last phase of the investigation, the agents learned that the criminal organization had stolen a vehicle in Parla, which was subsequently located in Pinto. The follow-up of the car took the investigators to Alcorcón, where the arrests of all the members of the organization as well as part of the records were made. The main investigator tried to escape aboard one of the stolen vehicles, at high speed, losing control of the car and hitting a metal fence, when they managed to arrest him. The nine detainees are charged with the direct commission of 15 vehicle thefts as well as the crimes of belonging to a criminal organization and falsification of documents. The estimated economic damage amounts to almost 600,000 euros.
In the four searches carried out – in two homes in Alcorcón and Valdemoro, and in two warehouses in Ocaña (Toledo) and Valdemoro – the agents have intervened a set of dies for the falsification of license plates, switchboards and sophisticated material designed to facilitate subtraction of vehicles. In addition, they have also located numerous counterfeit documentation, invoices, blank ITV cards, master keys and bowler extractors. The investigation, which has had the collaboration of the Interior Attaché of Spain in Poland, remains open and new arrests are not ruled out.