Two Elche Workshops Involved in a Scam Network for Buying Cars Imported from Germany and Belgium

The Civil Guard has dismantled a criminal network dedicated to scams in the purchase of vehicles allegedly imported from Germany and Belgium. Two of the three alleged members of the network have been arrested in the province of Alicante, and two workshops in Elche are implicated in the scheme, according to the authorities.

The alleged fraudsters attracted their victims through websites and deceived them with fake contracts and videos from abroad. After analyzing the information obtained during the investigation, the economic damage has been quantified at over 200,000 euros, with ten victims across Spain, although investigators do not rule out the emergence of new victims.

The operations 'Dasrobimport' and 'Bábaros' conducted by the Santa Pola Investigation Area and the Madrid Judicial Police Unit (Edite) began on September 11, 2024, after receiving several complaints from victims in different parts of the country, all related to a company operating through two proprietary websites and online sales platforms.

The modus operandi involved capturing the interest of buyers, having them sign a contract, and requesting a financial transfer as a reservation. Subsequently, new amounts were requested, citing alleged logistical problems, without the vehicle ever being delivered.

To give a greater appearance of legality, the supposed manager of the company even recorded videos from abroad showing the vehicles, which generated trust among the victims and facilitated the deception. However, the investigation revealed that the locations indicated in the contracts were false, with some being residential addresses without real commercial activity in towns like Santa Pola or Elche.

Finally, on March 11, a 27-year-old man was arrested in Aspe and a 37-year-old woman in Torrellano, along with another 39-year-old individual in the province of Tarragona. A 30-year-old woman was also investigated in the town of El Vendrell (Tarragona).

The agents conducted a judicial search in El Papiolet (Tarragona) and carried out two inspections in workshops located in Elche, resulting in the seizure of seven vehicles, three in Tarragona, three in Alicante, and one in the province of Pontevedra.

The detainees, who had no prior records and are charged with fraud, document forgery, money laundering, and illicit association, were brought before the judicial authority and released with precautionary measures imposed.

It is noteworthy that a citizen platform of affected individuals has been created on social media, publicly warning of the fraud and the operations used by the company. The Civil Guard keeps the investigation open and does not rule out the emergence of new victims or the location of more vehicles linked to this network.