As part of their continual campaign against agricultural and rural crime, the Guardia Civil arrested a man and investigated a woman who are believed to be attributed fraud of 70,000 euro, for the illicit trade of 200,000 kilos of citrus fruits.
The victims are farmers from various towns in Alicante and Murcia.
The investigation began following a complaint to the Guardia Civil of a possible fraud that was filed in Torrevieja. The complainant said that the alleged perpetrators made a first purchase of low-value fruit from the farmer, paying in full, and later, having gained his trust, they placed an order of a higher value that, after having been collected and transported, they paid by means of a bank promissory note, without funds.
During the course of the investigation, officers also discovered four other affected victims in the same situation in the towns of Jacarilla and Orihuela, in the province of Alicante, and Beniel and Santomera. of the Region of Murcia.
The investigators found out that the authors, posing as an alleged company of recognised solvency, made a total purchase of 205,300 kilograms of lemons, valued at 73,358 euro.
The agents carried out an inspection at the registered office where the supposed company was located, discovering that it did not exist. After arduous investigative work, the Guardia Civil located the perpetrators, a 45-year-old man and his sentimental partner, a 48-year-old woman. The man has numerous records for similar events.
The man was arrested by the Guardia Civil, and then released after his statement. The woman, who is attributed a lesser degree of participation in the crime, was investigated by the agents. The proceedings have been made available to the Orihuela Court, pending the trial.
