Car theft and illegal vehicle trafficking ring dismantled in Attica
A coordinated police operation resulted in the arrest of 13 people who had established a criminal organisation for car thefts, forgeries and fraud.
Car theft and illegal vehicle trafficking ring dismantled in Attica
Prosecution authorities have succeeded in dismantling a criminal group that was active in stealing, altering and selling vehicles. In a large-scale operation carried out in the early morning hours of Monday across multiple areas of Attica, 13 people aged between 22 and 38 were arrested.
According to reporting by Naftemporiki, the group had developed multi-level operations since March 2023. Its members would remove vehicles from various areas of the Attica basin and then proceed to alter their identification details. Specifically, they removed genuine parts bearing the chassis number and installed counterfeit ones, with the aim of selling them to unsuspecting buyers.
Furthermore, the perpetrators filed false reports of alleged theft of their own vehicles, claiming compensation from insurance companies.
Thirty-six cars were found and seized from the homes of those arrested. After special technical inspection, it was established that 19 of them had been stolen and bore counterfeit chassis numbers. The vehicles were returned to their lawful owners.
The preliminary investigation revealed 33 car thefts and 9 false theft reports. The financial profit of the organisation is estimated to exceed one million euros.
The arrested individuals were brought before the prosecuting authorities. The case file formed against them includes charges of criminal organisation, aggravated theft, forgery, fraud and money laundering. Investigations to fully document the illegal activity are ongoing.
Source: Naftemporiki