The National Police have arrested a man in Orihuela who rented vehicles from ‘rent a car’ companies, but did not return them and later illegally resold them to third parties.

Following his arrest the agents found that the suspect had been arrested a few months earlier for committing the same crime, in which he had used the same methods and procedures.

In one of the transactions a vehicle was rented from a company with an office at the Alicante-Elche airport but was not returned, the value of which was 48,500 euros.

It is understood that the individual had previously put up for sale a van, stolen from the same rental company, along with documentation that he had falsified and thus was able to obtain huge profits. Further investigation show that they is evidence of at least six more vehicles.

The author, a 43-year-old Spanish man, was handed over to the Alicante investigative courts where he is charged with the crimes of Misappropriation, Document Falsehood and Fraud. The National Police is investigating the involvement of the detainee in other similar thefts committed in different locations throughout Spain.