Europol reported on 12th September 2014 that Spain’s Guardia Civil, working with Europol, have dismantled an organised criminal group responsible for the theft of high performance vehicles.
The operation, which began in October 2013, was coordinated by Europol and saw 26 people arrested (19 Spanish, 5 Bulgarians and 2 Moroccans) and 12 house searches conducted, resulting in the seizure of 20 vehicles, weapons and electronic equipment and tools used for the vehicle thefts.
The criminal network was made up of three distinctive cells: Bulgarian, Spanish and Moroccan. The Bulgarian cell used complex electronic devices during the vehicle thefts to deactivate the vehicle alarm systems. The cell would then transfer the vehicles to a warehouse in Madrid and bring in an expert from Valencia to forge the vehicle identification numbers (VINs).
Once the vehicles were prepared with false licence plates, VINs and documents, the Bulgarian cell enlisted Spanish drivers to transfer the vehicles to Bulgaria or Melilla (Morocco), paying them EUR 300 per trip. In Melilla, the Moroccan cell would receive the vehicles and sell them on.
- State of Emergency Monitoring Structure Meeting and Security Forces Enforcement Report
- 1969 earthquake. The sea bubbled and the country took to the streets in pyjamas
- Covid-19 Portugal will buy about 38 million vaccines
- Mobil Internet Performance is worse in rural areas study shows
- Prime Minister speaks to the country after Council of Ministers Meeting
- Celebrations planned in 2022 to mark the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the first train in Lagos
- United Kingdom and Italy with more impact at the beginning of the pandemic in Portugal
- Official Speech of the President of the Republic
- Infarmed meeting 22nd February 2021
- Covid-19: Project “Neighbours at the window” awarded the Civil Solidarity award
- The dark side of Valentine’s Day. More than 2,000 complaints of dating violence in 2020
- INFARMED meeting Lisbon 9th February 2021
- Aid requests to APAV’s Safe Internet Line increased 575.49% in 2020
- Pedro Simas says that Portugal may be one of the best in the world to control the third wave
- “I want to give a positive signal, we will have summer”
