Four people have been arrested in Elche as part of a National Police investigation into an alleged vehicle fraud linked to leasing and finance agreements. Two men and two women, aged between 38 and 52, are suspected of operating a criminal group that used front companies to obtain new or nearly new cars through leasing, renting and vehicle loans.

Police say the vehicles were then sold on, often abroad and at prices well below market value, in an attempt to avoid restrictions linked to outstanding finance agreements. Investigators believe some cars were exported to countries including France and the Netherlands, where they were re-registered.

Officers identified three main methods: acquiring vehicles through companies set up in the names of intermediaries, buying cars from owners in financial difficulty without paying the agreed sums, and taking reservation payments for vehicles that were never delivered.

During searches of two properties in Elche and an industrial unit in Aspe, police seized 34 vehicles, several of them high-end models. More than 50 additional vehicles have been blocked in official registers, along with numerous bank accounts and 12 properties. The alleged ringleader has been remanded in custody, and further arrests have not been ruled out.