The Spanish Civil Guard dismantles a network dedicated to the sale of vehicles obtained irregularly in the European Union

The Civil Guard, within the framework of the “JORNA” operation, has dismantled a network dedicated to the sale of vehicles that had been acquired illegally in European Union countries.

15 people have been arrested for the alleged crimes of belonging to a criminal group, fraud, theft of vehicles, misappropriation of vehicles and falsification of documents.The operation began when the Investigation and Analysis group of the Civil Guard Traffic Group, which carries out periodic and random inspections at different ITV stations, detected an unusual increase in vehicles from Germany, France, Italy, and Bulgaria. and Austria, which could be irregular. 

Once the documentation of the Technical Inspections had been analyzed, it was observed that there was a short period of time between the acquisition of the vehicles abroad and their subsequent transfer and start of their legalization in Spain. In addition, it was possible to verify the common link between the main investigated, in terms of their nationality, family ties and friendship.  

The agents also detected the attempted registration at the Navarra Provincial Traffic Headquarters of two high-end vehicles, using various false documents for this procedure, and which were located by the Civil Guard in the Community of Madrid.  In the course of the investigation, and after the analysis and studies carried out, the attempted registration of 31 vehicles was detected, which were stolen in the country of origin. 

The alleged organizers of the criminal plot, would have created a network in which they acquired the vehicles through leasing contracts of companies in other countries of the European Union, all of them high-end, to later transfer them to Spain for sale, when they had been legalized . Once in possession of the ITV card, they began the registration procedures in different Traffic Headquarters, presenting in many cases false and / or falsified documentation that ranged from false registration certificates, certified identity documents, invoices, to name of people who were not in the country, then proceeding to its sale in Spain. 

There are indications that this group operated in Navarra, Madrid and the Basque Country, although those affected in Spain are spread over various provinces of the geography. The Civil Guard detected that the organization had started the legalization procedures in Spain for a total of 31 vehicles from European countries, for an approximate value of 600,000 euros.  

The operation has been developed by agents belonging to the GIAT of the Navarra Sector, in collaboration with the Central GIAT of the Traffic Group, with the support of other units of the Civil Guard. Likewise, they have had the collaboration of EUROPOL in the exchange of information.