A Report from El Campello Uncovers an International Online Fraud Scheme Involving Pallets

'Operation Caldura'. This is how the Civil Guard has named the investigation that dismantled an international criminal network of massive frauds through websites offering heating pallets. In total, the agents have arrested eight alleged members of the organisation in the provinces of Alicante, Madrid, Barcelona, and Tarragona, according to the authorities.

The investigation, carried out by the Alicante Command Team, with the collaboration of the Torrevieja Team and members of the Alicante Judicial Police Unit (UOPJ), began after a citizen in El Campello reported paying for pallets through a website and never receiving the product. Investigators discovered that the case was not isolated.

With the rise in energy prices following the war in Ukraine, the demand for heating alternatives, such as pallets, also increased. The organisation took advantage of this context to launch up to 12 fake websites, all with appearances and prices that facilitated the deception, registered outside Europe, according to the same sources.

Investigators have gathered 66 complaints across the country, with an economic loss amounting to around 40,000 euros. Most payments were directed to accounts linked to a financial entity based in Ireland, which helped identify those involved.

Investigators uncovered a complex financial network designed to conceal the illicit origin of the money. The funds obtained through the frauds were transferred to accounts in Italy, Lithuania, Belgium, France, Ireland, and Poland. Transfers were also traced to digital platforms based in Senegal, Ivory Coast, and cryptocurrency exchanges.

Part of this money was used to purchase real estate, especially in the province of Tarragona, where some companies linked to the detainees were involved in renting properties. These properties, valued at over 500,000 euros, were offered through well-known rental platforms to launder the profits obtained.

Between March 18 and 20, the Civil Guard executed the operation, conducting three searches in homes in Tarragona and Madrid, where five men and one woman were arrested, and 14,000 euros in cash, a luxury vehicle, state-of-the-art computer equipment, and abundant relevant documentation for the investigation were seized.

Finally, in this operation, eight people have been arrested: seven Spanish, Argentine, and Pakistani citizens, aged between 33 and 45, and a 30-year-old Argentine woman.

The individuals involved are charged with fraud, money laundering, and belonging to a criminal group. Three of the detainees were brought before the Investigating Court No. 3 of Alicante, which ordered their release. The rest were released by the investigating authority.