A simple road accident in the Canary Islands has led to a surprising criminal investigation involving stolen cars, cloned number plates and fake identities in Gran Canaria.
What started as a minor crash with no injuries in Las Palmas has now led the Guardia Civil to uncover what they believe is an organised fraud operation.
The incident happened in March this year when traffic police attended a routine collision between two cars. During their checks, they noticed something unusual with one of the registration plates and passed the case to a specialist investigation unit.
After looking into the details, investigators discovered that the number plate actually belonged to a woman living in Valencia on mainland Spain. She told police that neither she nor her car had ever been to the Canary Islands.
Two Identical Cars Found
The investigation then took an even more bizarre turn.
Police found two identical cars, same make, model and colour, both displaying exactly the same registration plate. The vehicles were being openly offered for sale at a business in the south of Gran Canaria.
Further checks confirmed that both cars had previously been stolen from an industrial warehouse.
The man in possession of the vehicles claimed he had bought them cheaply as part of a bulk deal, but officers say he could not provide any paperwork or proof of purchase.
Driver Allegedly Used Someone Else’s Identity
Investigators also discovered that the driver involved in the original crash had allegedly given police another person’s details to avoid getting into trouble.
According to the Guardia Civil, the suspect no longer had a valid driving licence and was banned by the courts from driving any vehicle.
Police later found that the driver, his passenger and the man whose identity was allegedly used all knew each other personally.
Investigators believe the third man realised his identity had been used shortly after the accident, but decided not to tell police in order to protect his friend.
Serious Charges Possible
The case has now been passed to the court in Telde.
Those involved could face several serious criminal charges, including vehicle theft, using cloned number plates, identity theft and helping to cover up a crime. Some of the offences carry prison sentences of up to five years under Spanish law.
