Officers from the National Police and the Elche Local Police have detained two males, aged 41 and 51, who are accused of scamming multiple customers at a mechanic’s business in the city. One of individuals arrested, the business’s owner, is accused of misappropriating funds granted for repairs without actually finishing them and, in certain cases, selling cars that did not belong to him. The investigation resulted in the recovery of seven cars used in the scheme, some of which had fraudulent documentation.
The complaints uncovered the scheme
The investigation began after a number of complaints were made to the National Police. The victims, auto repair business customers, said that after leaving their vehicles for repairs and advancing the necessary funds, the shop manager stopped replying to them. Furthermore, the complainants stated that he was no longer present at the shop and avoided all interaction with them.
Two of the victims said they had purchased vehicles from the suspect but never got them. In one case, the car was not theirs, and the other was impounded. To pull off the scam, the suspect allegedly faked the vehicle’s documentation and duped the buyers into thinking the transaction was lawful.
Investigation and discovery of cars
Given the gravity of the allegations, National Police officers attached to the Elche Police Station’s Property Crimes Group launched an inquiry to clarify the situation. During the process, they requested assistance from the Elche Local Police’s Establishments and Activities Unit, which led to the finding of both the impacted automobiles and the workshop owner.
The police probe resulted in an inspection of the establishment, when authorities discovered seven cars used in the scheme. These automobiles were transported to the Municipal Vehicle Depot and then returned to their respective owners.
A second individual involved in the plot
A few days after the business owner was arrested, investigators discovered a second suspect in the fraud. This person also profited from the money obtained through fraud, convincing victims to pay for repairs that would never be finished.
In total, the inmates defrauded their clients of around 5,000 euros. The police are continuing their investigation to look for other automobiles that could be connected in the case.
Author: Derek Appleton
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