They stole cars in Morocco and gave them a new identity in Spain

The case began almost by chance in Madrid’s Carabanchel district. Police officers stopped a car travelling with an expired license plate. When searching the vehicle, they discovered several foreign documents in the glove compartment corresponding to other automobiles.

The checks were then entrusted to the Comisaría de Coordinación Judicial of the Madrid Municipal Police. Investigators established that the documents discovered were fake, as was the type-approval code used for the vehicles, reports Telemadrid.

On Bladi.net : 33,000 cars stolen in Spain: Why the Moroccan market is crazy about "classic" models

The investigation then led back to a network that used these forged documents to register in Spain cars previously stolen in Morocco. In total, seven fraudulently registered vehicles were identified and another stolen vehicle was recovered.

This traffic therefore operates in the opposite direction to many networks already detected between the two countries. Spanish authorities regularly intercept cars stolen in Europe destined for the Moroccan market, sometimes after their documents or identification features have been altered.

False identities to register the cars

In the Madrid case, investigators focused specifically on the documentation enabling the vehicles to obtain an administrative existence in Spain. The cars had been stolen in Morocco before being fraudulently registered in Spain.

Two people were arrested and two others are under investigation. The Spanish authorities have not disclosed their nationality.

On Bladi.net : Stolen Cars from Morocco Seized on Route to Algeria via Spain

Spain is regularly used as a transit point in car trafficking between Europe and the Maghreb. Last January, for example, Spanish agents discovered at the Moroccan border cars stolen in Italy whose plates and identification features had been disguised.

Other networks have adopted even more complex routes. A previous Guardia Civil investigation established that vehicles stolen in Morocco were transported to Algeria via Spain.