Civil Guard officers seized 38 vehicles, key-cloning equipment, drugs and €40,000 in cash during a major operation targeting an alleged vehicle-trafficking network across the Vega Baja and L’Alacantí areas.
The number of arrests linked to a sophisticated vehicle-theft and drug-trafficking network operating across the Vega Baja and L’Alacantí regions has risen to 19, the Civil Guard has confirmed.
The criminal organisation allegedly used advanced radio-frequency technology to clone smart keys and steal vehicles within seconds, without forcing doors or causing visible damage. The stolen cars were then reportedly altered and exported for sale in several European countries.
The investigation resulted in the recovery of 17 stolen vehicles, while a further 21 vehicles allegedly used in criminal activity were seized.
First detainees released after court appearance
The first 11 suspects arrested during the operation were released subject to precautionary measures by a Torrevieja court.
Most were reportedly brought before a judge after the maximum legal detention period of 72 hours had expired. Several of those under investigation were represented by lawyers Francisco Miguel Galiana Botella, Aitor Esteban Gallastegui and Enrique Giménez Aznar.
Three other suspects were remanded in custody by Spain’s National Court in connection with European arrest warrants issued by other countries.
Cars stolen within seconds
Operation Grzech began in October 2025 after four vehicles were stolen in just two days from different towns across Alicante province.
Investigators identified a common method in each case. The thieves allegedly intercepted radio-frequency signals and cloned the vehicles’ smart keys, allowing them to drive away in seconds.
A detailed intelligence-gathering operation led officers to several locations where the stolen vehicles were allegedly concealed and modified. These included two illegal workshops, a garage and an industrial warehouse.
The Civil Guard said the evidence pointed to a highly organised and technologically advanced criminal network that employed strict security procedures to avoid detection.
Vehicles ‘disguised’ for export
Equipment recovered during searches included smart-key cloning systems, vehicle diagnostic technology and tools used to alter vehicle identification numbers and registration plates.
Investigators believe the suspects replaced bodywork, removed original vehicle identification numbers and machined new ones to give stolen cars an apparently legitimate identity before exporting them.
Around 50 registration plates from countries including Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and Ukraine were also seized.
The gang allegedly operated from an industrial warehouse in Bigastro, where officers discovered around 20 high-end vehicles believed to have been used in criminal activity.
The building was also equipped with an onboard diagnostic system and its own video-surveillance network. Officers dismantled a clandestine laboratory where drugs were allegedly prepared for export.
Nineteen suspects arrested
A total of 13 men and six women, aged between 31 and 63, were arrested.
They are being investigated for alleged offences including technologically assisted vehicle theft, membership of a criminal organisation, document forgery, currency counterfeiting, drug trafficking and money laundering.
Officers carried out 16 searches in Algorfa, Bigastro, Guardamar del Segura, Mutxamel, Orihuela, Sant Joan d’Alacant, San Miguel de Salinas and Torrevieja, as well as Mar de Cristal in Cartagena.
Among the principal locations searched were the gang’s alleged headquarters in Bigastro, mechanical workshops in Jacarilla and Sant Joan d’Alacant, and a garage in Torrevieja.
Drugs, cash and cloning technology seized
The Civil Guard recovered 17 stolen vehicles and seized another 21 allegedly connected to the network’s activities.
Other items confiscated included dozens of registration plates, smart keys, key-cloning circuits, multi-brand remote controls, drones, frequency jammers, tracking beacons, mobile phones, vehicle diagnostic equipment and a starter pistol.
Officers also seized €40,000 in cash, €350 in counterfeit notes and quantities of marijuana, cocaine, heroin and hashish, together with equipment used to test, weigh and package drugs.
The operation was led by Civil Guard investigation teams based in Sant Joan d’Alacant and Torrevieja, with support from specialist security, canine and air-service units from several regions.
The case is being handled by Torrevieja Court of First Instance and Instruction No. 2, which ordered the suspects’ release subject to judicial supervision measures.
