Spanish Car Theft Ring Targets Dacia Vehicles for Moroccan Taxi Market

The Spanish Civil Guard, which is tracking down members of these mafias, estimates the profits generated by this operation at 6,000 euros. According to a report from the Spanish Ministry of the Interior, cited by the Spanish newspaper La Razon, the criminal networks operate in a very professional manner, forging the vehicle documents before shipping them to Morocco.

The Spanish authorities, having found that the thieves were particularly targeting "Dacia" cars, concluded that these are being resold in Morocco, where the brand is used as taxis in several cities in the country.

The modus operandi is always the same. The thieves first spot a car, usually in Madrid or Barcelona, before taking possession of it by deactivating the entire security system. It is moved for 3 or 4 days in a busy street, during which time the thieves make sure the vehicle has not been found by the police or the owner.

The thieves then take advantage of a loophole in the Spanish system, or at least a possibility offered by the Directorate General of Traffic (Dirección General de Tráfico - DGT) which allows access to all vehicle information by simply entering its registration number. This procedure gives a buyer the ability to know whether the vehicle is stolen or not.

Other members of the network take over and transfer it to the south of the country where they change the chassis number as well as the vehicle documentation. It is then driven to Morocco by a member of the gang. The forgery is done smoothly and generally takes a few days.

According to the report, several international networks specialized in car theft operate in Spain, estimating that the Buglares are the best organized and target luxury cars in particular. An average of 45 cars are stolen per month in the country, while the Spanish authorities made 200 arrests in 2018 and dismantled several networks composed of 30 to 40 members.