Known as 'Operation Grzech', the operation culminated in the arrest of 19 people: 13 men and 6 women aged between 31 and 63. These individuals had not only set up an international network for trafficking luxury vehicles to Europe but also controlled a clandestine drug production laboratory.
The investigation began in October 2025, after four high-end car thefts were reported in different Alicante towns following an identical and puzzling pattern: no broken windows, forced locks, or triggered alarms.
The gang's method involved the radio frequency 'cloning' of smart car keys. Using advanced devices, they could open doors and start engines in mere seconds, thus avoiding detection by witnesses or the vehicle's original security systems.
Once stolen, the cars were moved to a security network comprising two illegal mechanical workshops (in Jacarilla and San Juan), a garage in Torrevieja, and the main operations center: an armored industrial warehouse in Bigastro.
At this hub in Bigastro, equipped with a closed-circuit video surveillance system, the criminals performed an extreme 'cosmetic' process on the chassis. They used onboard diagnostic (OBD) systems and heavy tools to cut and replace entire body parts, making the original chassis number disappear and stamping a new one. To drive without suspicion, they possessed an arsenal of 50 fake license plates from countries like Germany, Austria, Holland, Poland, Sweden, and Ukraine.
Furthermore, during the search of the Bigastro warehouse, agents discovered a fully equipped clandestine drug laboratory for weighing, purity analysis, and packaging drugs. The gang exploited the logistical infrastructure of the stolen cars to also export these drug shipments to the European market.
The police operation required the deployment of elite units, canine services, and air support, with a total of 16 searches conducted between Alicante and Cartagena (Murcia). Recovered items include 17 stolen vehicles and 21 cars used by the gang, along with 40,000 euros in cash and 350 euros in counterfeit bills. Various quantities of cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and hashish were also seized, along with frequency jammers, tracking beacons, drones, multi-brand remotes, and a blank-firing pistol.
The proceedings have been handed over to the Court of Instruction number 2 in Torrevieja. The judge has ordered provisional imprisonment for three of the detainees with European Arrest and Extradition Warrants, while the remaining 16 have been released provisionally under strict surveillance measures.
