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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 midrange cars that had a high resale price, which were often parked in long-term 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.
After the sea was calm, the vehicles are taken to an isolated warehouse on a farm where they are dismantled. The most valuable components were loaded into lorries and sent to the Moroccan black market. Lookout cars warned police checkpoints of their presence. 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. Another gang member arrested in Madrid a few days later.
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The two brothers accused of masterminding the operation were also handcuffed. They used high-tech gear in order to hack security systems, and they personally supervised both the arrival of the stolen vehicles as well as the departure of the loaded lorries.
The cops also seized more than 50 parts from vehicles and recovered four newly stolen cars that were awaiting their dismantling.
The nine suspects are all charged with crimes relating to organised crime and vehicle theft. Police say the investigation is still ongoing – and more arrests could be on the cards.
The Olive Press offers more Madrid News.
