Expat car theft and drug traficking gang busted

GUARDIA Civil officers have arrested two people for being the perpetrators of three crimes: theft of motor vehicles, document forgery and drug trafficking. One of the two detainees was also charged with a crime against road safety (for driving without a licence).

On the morning of Tuesday, March 3, Calpe Guardia Civil officers were carrying out a normal traffic check on a public road in Alfaz del Pi, when they pulled up a driver, who identified himself with photocopies of his Lithuanian driving licence and identity card, supposedly validated by a Spanish notary.

Officers focused their attention on his high-end car with Norwegian plates and on closer inspection, they found irregularities with the car’s VIN (vehicle identification number).

After carrying out the relevant checks, it was found that the VIN number had been tampered with and the car was, in fact, reported as stolen in Norway.

After his arrest, Altea Guardia Civil officers located another high-end vehicle allegedly owned by the same man, which also had its VIN tampered with. The value of both vehicles exceeds €200,000.

With this information officers from the Guardia Civil’s citizen safety brigade in Calpe and Alicante’s canine unit proceeded to search the arrested man’s home, where they found equipment (such as beacons and GPS tracking devices) valued at around €50,000 and presumably used to locate vehicles to be stolen in the future; keys to other stolen vehicles; jewellery; hard drives and computer devices; and equipment used to modify identifying elements of vehicles, such as for stamping VINs (sprays, punches, moulds, solvents, putties). The stamping equipment was found at the back of the house, near the garden, hidden in cupboards.

In addition, the canine unit detected a hideout in the garden next to the pool under artificial grass.

Upon accessing it, through a narrow tunnel, the officers found about 25 kgs of marijuana buds in vacuum packs which were ready for immediate international distribution and sale.

The value of this marijuana is estimated at about €128,000. The sale of the drug is thought to be the way the gang financed their stolen car operation.

Two people have been arrested so far, a 41-year-old man and a 45-year-old woman, both Lithuanians, who were taken before a judge who sent the man to prison without bail to await trial, while the woman was released pending further court proceedings.