A court in Torrevieja has ordered the release of eleven suspects arrested as part of a major Civil Guard operation targeting an organised network involved in vehicle theft and drug trafficking, after ruling that their detention exceeded the legal time limit.
The suspects were brought before the Court of First Instance last Friday following their arrest earlier in the week during coordinated raids across the Vega Baja and l’Alacantí regions. Prosecutors had sought pretrial detention, citing the seriousness of the alleged offences and the scale of the criminal operation.
However, defence lawyers successfully challenged the legality of the detentions, arguing that their clients had been held beyond the maximum 72-hour period permitted under Spanish law.
Central to the defence argument was the timing of the arrests. While the Civil Guard formally read the suspects their rights at around 9:00 a.m. on April 21, lawyers contended that the deprivation of liberty effectively began earlier, when searches commenced between 6:00 and 6:30 a.m. that same day. As the detainees were not brought before a judge until approximately 7:30 a.m. on April 24, the court determined that the legal detention period had been exceeded.
In a detailed ruling, the magistrate acknowledged that pretrial detention would otherwise have been justified but concluded that the procedural breach required the suspects’ immediate release.
The court imposed precautionary measures, including twice-monthly court appearances, a ban on leaving the country, and the surrender of passports.
The operation, codenamed “Grezech-Garaz,” resulted in a total of 16 arrests and multiple searches across Alicante province and nearby areas. Investigators allege the group was responsible for stealing at least 15 vehicles across several Spanish regions, using advanced technology to clone electronic keys and bypass security systems. Stolen cars were then modified to appear legitimate and prepared for export abroad.
Authorities recovered eleven vehicles during the operation, along with cash, forged documentation, licence plates from various countries, and specialised electronic equipment. The network is described as highly structured, with different branches handling technical theft, logistics, and international distribution. Most suspects are of Polish origin, alongside Serbian and Ukrainian nationals.
Five additional detainees were released earlier by the Civil Guard, while the investigation remains ongoing, with further arrests expected.
