Police in Catalonia have dismantled a cross-border vehicle fraud ring after a suspicious registration attempt in Figueres led to the recovery of nine stolen luxury vehicles valued at nearly €640,000.

The investigation began in July 2025 when the Documentation Research Unit of the Mossos d'Esquadra’s General Mobility Command detected irregularities in a vehicle import file from Italy. Officers intercepted a stolen Maserati Levante Modena that was being registered in Spain using blank Italian documents that had been stolen and falsified. The vehicle had already been sold to a dealership in Gandia, Valencia.

Months later, the same investigative indicators revealed a second case: an attempt to register a Fiat Panda Hybrid in Figueres using similarly forged paperwork. This discovery triggered a broader probe, leading to the seizure of seven additional vehicles.

Nine vehicles recovered across Spain

The recovered fleet includes four Porsche Carrera 4 GTS models, a Range Rover Sport SVR, two Harley-Davidson motorcycles, the Maserati, and the Fiat. All had been stolen in Denmark, Italy, and France before their chassis numbers were altered to disguise their origins.

Authorities found that blank official documents stolen from Italy and Austria were being forged to facilitate illegal registration in Spain. In two cases, vehicles were sold before registration was completed, but police intervention prevented fraudulent paperwork from being finalised.

The Mossos, alongside the Civil Guard, located the vehicles in multiple regions: Figueres, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Gavà, and La Bisbal del Penedès in Catalonia; Gandia and Benirredrà in Valencia; and A Coruña in Galicia. Some had already been transferred to unsuspecting third parties with no known criminal links.

One individual has been formally reported for document forgery, receiving stolen vehicles, fraud, and money laundering.

A 51-year-old man has been formally accused and reported to the judiciary for his alleged role in the scheme, according to the Mossos d'Esquadra.

Fake theft claim uncovered

The investigation also exposed a suspected false insurance claim. A Porsche 911 reported stolen in Sant Feliu de Guíxols in May 2025 was linked to the ring. Police believe keys from one of the fraudulently registered vehicles were used to stage the theft and attempt to claim compensation from the insurer.

During the operation, officers recovered four stolen Italian and ten Austrian vehicle registration certificates, all taken blank. They also found falsified sales contracts and invoices designed to give fraudulent transactions a legal appearance. Investigators suspect taxes were evaded by declaring lower sale prices than actual.

The case remains open, and authorities warn further actions may follow as part of the ongoing crackdown on illicit vehicle trafficking and stolen official documents.

Reported by diaridegirona.cat, Germán González, EFE, Diari de Girona.