Dilip Kuner
BRAZEN thieves stole up to ten cars a week from airport and holiday parking spots – then stripped them in a secret rural chop shop before selling the parts overseas.
Police have smashed a major crime gang in Madrid and Guadalajara, arresting nine people – including two brothers believed to be the ringleaders – accused of stealing more than 50 vehicles in just a few months.
The crew targeted mid-range cars with high resale value, often from long-stay holiday parking near Madrid’s Barajas Airport. Once stolen, the cars were ‘cooled down’ for up to a week in quiet residential streets in Guadalajara to check for hidden trackers and shake off police detection.
When the coast was clear, the vehicles were hauled to an isolated farm warehouse where they were stripped down piece by piece. The most valuable parts were loaded onto lorries bound for Morocco’s black market, escorted by lookout cars to warn of police checkpoints. The rest – anything traceable or worthless – was torched or dumped in the countryside.
A police raid on the rural workshop caught eight suspects in the act, loading a truck with stolen parts worth an estimated €1.25 million – ready to roll out to Africa that very night. Days later, another gang member was arrested in Madrid.
Among those cuffed were the two brothers who allegedly masterminded the operation, using high-tech gear to crack security systems and personally overseeing both the arrival of stolen vehicles and the departure of loaded lorries.
Cops also recovered four freshly stolen cars awaiting dismantling and seized parts linked to more than 50 vehicles.
All nine suspects have been charged with vehicle theft and organised crime offences. Police say the investigation is still ongoing – and more arrests could be on the cards.
Click here to read more Madrid News from The Olive Press.
