• Maritime containers have been intercepted in the Canary Islands and Gambia containing stolen vehicles to be sold fraudulently in different African countries.

• The investigations begin with the theft of vehicles in Lleida, Girona and other provinces

• Within the framework of European police coordination mechanisms, it was discovered that the alleged perpetrators of the robberies had participated in similar events throughout Europe. Four men are arrested and six vehicles are recovered

May 18, 2024.- The Customs Surveillance Service of the Tax Agency in the framework of a joint investigation with agents of the Police of the Generalitat-Mossos d'Esquadra of the Division of Criminal Investigation (DIC) of the Poniente Police Region, has arrested four men, between 29 and 47 years old, in the last two weeks, as alleged perpetrators of ten vehicle thefts and membership in a criminal organization.

The arrests are the result of an investigation opened in October last year after a series of thefts of vehicles of the same make and model, with an identical modus operandi, were detected. Specifically, between October 28 and 30, 2023, seven vehicles were stolen: two in Alpicat, two in Lleida, one in Montsó and two in Girona. Of these, two were recovered by the same owners with geolocation systems.

Subsequently, between November 7 and 9, two more thefts were reported in Almería, presumably perpetrated by the same criminal organization. During the investigation phase, it was discovered that behind these events there was a criminal organization with European and African roots specialized in the theft of cars with the aim of fraudulently selling them in different African countries.

Stolen vehicles were transported in maritime containers

The investigators verified that the members of this criminal group were responsible for these robberies and that, in an itinerant manner and in a short space of time, they had moved through different parts of Spanish territory.

The thieves had specialized in thefts of vehicles of the same make and model. Once stolen, they parked them in isolated areas so as not to raise suspicion and ensure that they had not been discovered. Within the framework of European police coordination mechanisms, it was discovered that the alleged perpetrators of the robberies had participated in similar events throughout Europe.

Subsequently, the organization organized the shipping of the vehicles inside maritime containers to Africa, where they sold them fraudulently to obtain significant financial benefits.

Hierarchical criminal organization where each member had defined tasks

This criminal group was perfectly hierarchical, divided into three levels, where each of its members had a specific function. It was led by an individual who was in charge of directing the actions and managing the transfer by sea of ​​the stolen vehicles.

On the second level was the group of people who were in charge of carrying out the robberies. In this case, they were hired specifically for this function and moved expressly from Europe.

Finally, in each area where the robberies were committed, they had individuals who knew the terrain, selected the vehicles and provided the necessary data to carry out the robberies safely.

Two maritime containers with stolen vehicles are intercepted

On November 28, in an action coordinated with the Customs Surveillance Service of the Tax Agency in the Canary Islands, a container, which the criminal network had contracted, was intercepted in the port of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Inside they discovered that they were transporting three of the vehicles that had been stolen in the Lleida area.

Days later, thanks to international customs procedures carried out by the General Subdirectorate of Customs Surveillance Operations of the Tax Agency, another container was intercepted in the port of Banjul (Gambia), by the country's port authorities, which was transporting three vehicles. , two of which had been stolen in Almería and the third is being worked on to find out where it was stolen.

Finally, between April 24 and May 2, four men related to these events were arrested in Lleida. From the investigation it appears that these detainees would be part of the third level of the organization.

The investigation remains open to arrest the rest of the members of this international criminal group. The four detainees were released after testifying at the police station with the obligation to appear before the judge when required.