A court in Lleida will lead the investigation into a criminal network accused of stealing cars across Spain and exporting them to Africa, after Spain’s Supreme Court settled a jurisdictional dispute with a court in Almería.
The Supreme Court assigned the case to Instruction Court Number 2 in Lleida in a ruling issued on 30 May 2026. The decision is final and cannot be appealed.
The dispute arose because one suspect was also linked to a separate car theft case in Almería. The Supreme Court said the main police and judicial investigation had been centred in Lleida, so that court was best placed to continue the case. For more local reporting, see our news coverage.
Mossos d'Esquadra officers in Lleida first detected the theft of a specific Japanese SUV model in August 2023. A fingerprint found on a recovered vehicle led investigators to identify a French national, who was believed to be linked to a network that steals and exports vehicles to Gambia.
According to the article, investigations in 2024 and 2025 led to the dismantling of an international stolen vehicle smuggling operation and the arrest of up to 10 suspects. Officers said the thefts were coordinated in Girona, Lleida, Almería and Huesca, and that the vehicles were exported in containers from ports including Barcelona, Castellón and Valencia.
The investigation also identified one suspect as the coordinator of the shipments. Authorities said the group used sophisticated technology to steal the vehicles.
