Alex Trelinski
A massive scam has been uncovered at San Javier’s ITV vehicle testing station in the Murcia region, with defective cars sailing through road safety checks.
17 employees have been arrested by the Guardia Civil who visited the premises on the Los Urreas industrial estate.
The extensive search saw the seizure of four computers and a server.
Days before officers arrived, there was a mass deletion of computer files.
Computer forensic technicians however managed to restore most of the wiped 62,000 files.
An ‘abundant’ amount of documents totalling 30,000 files and inspection reports were taken away by the Guardia Civil.
The papers included details of cars that failed an ITV test but within hours, they somehow passed a retake.
A car was also impounded which apparently was used as a ‘wild card’ to replace vehicles which could not meet test requirements.
The arrested group of 17 does not include the San Javier centre manager.
The workers face over 1,000 false documentation charges and 1,800 counts of computer damage.
The Guardia previously visited the centre in November to check on alleged irregularities.
READ MORE:
- DGT proposes to automatically issue fines for vehicles with no ITV circulating on Spanish roads
- ITV EXPLAINER: What you need to know about changes to Spain’s vehicle safety checks from June 1
