Spanish authorities have successfully dismantled a major illegal trafficking network for high-end mobile phones, with operations affecting multiple provinces, including Alicante. This initiative has led to the arrest of four individuals: three in Madrid and one in Fuengirola, while an additional seventeen people are currently under investigation across cities such as Girona, Málaga, and Seville.

The criminal network reportedly generated over three hundred thousand euros through the buying and selling of mobile phones, tablets, and other electronic devices, which were acquired through theft, fraud, or identity impersonation. These stolen devices were subsequently sold on second-hand platforms at prices considerably below their market value.

Investigators identified one individual in Alicante linked to the acquisition or distribution of these devices, which ended up in the hands of the network’s main operator. According to sources, Alicante was part of the national logistics network, using local collaborators to send or receive devices to and from their operational centre in Madrid.

The investigation began in two thousand and twenty-two when authorities noticed a profile with thousands of suspiciously low-priced sales of new and sealed mobile phones. Most of the products were traced back to thefts by disloyal employees in phone shops, with operations also linked to fraudulent purchases using impersonated identities. During a raid on the ringleader’s Madrid residence, investigators seized a total of one hundred and thirty-six mobile phones, five tablets, five smartwatches, four laptops, and a desktop computer, pending verification of their origins.