Spanish police end 2022 with several arrests of criminal networks across Spain
Spanish law enforcement has successfully dismantled numerous highly organised criminal cargo theft gangs, responsible for thefts worth several million Euros. Image: Alamy
22 December 2022
With the year of 2022 coming to an end, Spanish law enforcement has had a busy three months, successfully dismantling numerous highly organised criminal cargo theft gangs, responsible for thefts worth several million Euros. Zooming in on some of these incidents helps us understand how criminal gangs operate and why breaking them up is such a difficult task.
By Marius Merz, LandRisk Junior Analyst
During operation “Sawtruck”, Civil Guard officers detained 17 people for the theft of numerous trucks and cargo loads. The criminal network consisted of two different groups. The first group, disguised as ordinary truck drivers, visited truck parking lots overnight and slashed peep holes in trailer curtains to identify suitable cargo for theft. The second group targeted unmanned trucks in unsecured parking lots, disabled their GPS systems and then disassembled the vehicles in order to ship the stolen truck parts from the port of Valencia to Paraguay. Overall, the criminal network stole goods and trucks worth around 2,5 million EUR.
Another criminal network specialised in the theft of diesel. The group operated at nonsecure parking areas on the AP-7 in Torrent, both in the Barcelona and Alicante directions. Always operating under the cover of the night, the fuel thieves parked their truck next to their victims to gain direct access to their tank caps. At the time of their arrest, the criminal group had already extracted thousands of litres of fuel in a total of 21 thefts, causing significant damage to truck operators in the area.
11 members of another criminal gang were recently detained in Seville for looting various warehouses in the city’s industrial district. The gang only operated on weekends or public holidays and used sophisticated equipment, such as spy microphones, frequency inhibitors and diverse material for opening and starting vehicles. Once arrested, the criminal network had already stolen goods worth more than 380,000 EUR.
Looking at these three incidents offers valuable insights into the tactics and capabilities of criminal cargo theft networks in Spain. First and foremost, cargo thieves operate when logistic sites and cargo trucks are most vulnerable, namely in the night when drivers are asleep or on weekends when the cargo is unattended. Secondly, cargo theft networks carefully choose their prey, stealing only valuable items that are simple to sell on black markets rather than engaging in opportunistic crime. Finally, criminal groups appear to be highly organised, as their networks contain well-established organisational hierarchies and structures, whilst each of their members has clearly defined roles and operational tactics.
For these reasons, the successful Spanish law enforcement operations should be applauded, and the police officers and other stakeholders involved recognised for their diligence and hard work putting the criminals behind bars. However, the investigations also highlight the threat posed by roving cargo theft gangs that operate across Europe, causing substantial losses to the supply chain. This threat will continue into 2023 and manufacturers and logistics operators are recommended to take appropriate security measures to combat these highly capable and organised criminal networks.
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