Civil Guard Unmasks Couple of Thieves After Truck Loaded with Oil is Stolen in Villena and Abandoned in Getafe

They stole a tractor head in Villena, which they then used to steal a semi-trailer containing 32 pallets of oil in Aspe. Both vehicles were found days later abandoned in an industrial area of Getafe. The Civil Guard launched 'Operation Trattore' to capture the perpetrators.

Investigations revealed that behind the incident was a pair of professional thieves who followed the same 'modus operandi': she used her personal car to visit various industrial areas, where she selected targets. Once the desired goods were identified, they placed a GPS device on the transport vehicle to monitor its exact position. At dawn, they executed the theft.

The police operation resulted in the arrest of the suspect, a 30-year-old woman, as the alleged perpetrator of two crimes against property: one for the theft of a tractor head and another for the theft of a loaded semi-trailer, as well as a crime against privacy for installing a tracking device on a truck. Additionally, the officers have identified the accomplice of the detainee, a 38-year-old man, whose involvement has been reported to the competent judicial authority.

The operation began in May 2025, when the Investigation Area of the Main Post of the Civil Guard in Villena became aware of the theft of a tractor head valued at 130,000 euros, which was parked in a vacant lot in the town.

The owner explained to investigators that the vehicle had a GPS device, whose last location was in a rural path in the Alicante area of El Rebolledo. Upon reaching the site, investigators found the device removed and hidden among the undergrowth.

Meanwhile, the officers detected that the same night a semi-trailer loaded with 32 pallets of olive and sunflower oil, valued at 40,000 euros, had been stolen in Aspe. Days later, both the tractor head and the semi-trailer were located in an industrial area of Getafe, although the cargo could not be recovered.

As investigations progressed, officers managed to establish a criminal pattern in the behaviour of the detainee and her accomplice. The woman used her personal vehicle to travel to different industrial areas, where she selected potential targets. Once the desired goods were identified, they placed a geolocation device on the transport vehicle to monitor its exact position. Later, they would arrive during the early hours to commit the theft, taking advantage of the businesses' closure and the lack of surveillance.

The data collected by the Armed Institute officials showed that the woman had acted again in the Valencian town of Massalavés, where she feigned a breakdown in her vehicle to stop a truck from an appliance company. While the detainee distracted the driver, her accomplice installed a GPS beacon under the vehicle. However, an employee of the same company caught the suspect, thwarting the placement of the device and preventing a possible new theft.

Thanks to investigative efforts and the analysis of various pieces of evidence, the officers managed to identify the vehicle used by the perpetrator, leading to her location and arrest on September 19 in the Valencian town of Montroy.

The detainee was brought before the Picassent Guard Court, which ordered her release with precautionary measures, while the Villena Investigating Court has taken over the investigation.

The investigations remain open, as the detainee's accomplice, although identified, remains at large, so further arrests are not ruled out in the operation. The officers have had the support of the Alberic Post and the Main Post of Aspe, as well as the Getafe National Police Station.