After tracking the suspects for months, the Guardia Civil moved in on Mejorada del Campo. The crew is accused of targeting parked cars across several provinces, leaving owners with steep repair bills and insurance headaches.
Guardia Civil sources say the three men arrested are Romanian nationals aged between 36 and 44. Two Spanish suspects, aged 31 and 35, are also under investigation. The arrests took place on September 22 near Madrid, after investigators from Zaragoza, Palencia, and Granada pieced together a pattern of thefts stretching back to July. In Cuarte de Huerva, Zaragoza, the group is accused of stealing 17 catalytic converters in five days, between July 12 and 17, the Guardia Civil said.
Investigators say the group drove out from Madrid at night, targeted cars parked on public streets in Zaragoza, Palencia, Granada, and Valladolid, and cut out the converters. The stolen parts then moved quickly into local resale channels around Madrid. Official reports now tie the group to 40 property crimes.
Zaragoza saw the heaviest losses, with 17 thefts in Cuarte de Huerva over five days. Palencia’s Venta de Baños logged five cases. Granada had nine, while Valladolid counted five in Laguna de Duero and four in Arroyo de la Encomienda. The spread of incidents across provinces initially made it harder for police to spot the pattern, information from the Guardia Civil.
The operation, led by Equipo Roca de Casetas with support from Venta de Baños and Guadix units, ended with the September 22 arrests. The suspects, aged 31 to 44, now face charges of theft and membership in a criminal group, along with ongoing criminal activity. These are preliminary charges, and the presumption of innocence stands until a court rules, as official statements underline.
Catalytic converters attract thieves for one reason: precious metals. Platinum and palladium fetch high prices on the scrap market. Even small amounts of rhodium can push the value higher. The converters sit under the car, easy to reach on SUVs and vans with more ground clearance. Older and hybrid models are especially tempting, since their converters often hold more metal. Independent reports put the cost of stolen parts and repairs at over 2,000 euros in some cases. Some cars can’t run at all until they are fixed.
Most drivers notice the theft when they start the engine. A loud exhaust and dashboard warnings are giveaways, as is a strong smell of fumes. Without the converter, emissions controls fail and the car risks failing its ITV inspection. Owners are told to avoid driving and get certified repairs right away.
Stopping these thefts isn’t easy. Parking in garages or under bright lights, avoiding curbside spots, and fitting metal shields may help. Some owners etch registration numbers onto converters to make resale harder. If a theft happens, police and insurers need to be notified quickly, but coverage depends on the fine print of each policy. Parallel investigations in Huelva, Seville, and Badajoz uncovered another 43 catalytic converter thefts, information from Russpain. The findings suggest the problem extends beyond a single group. Regional reviews have highlighted the wider trend, though the Guardia Civil has not officially confirmed every case.
The spike in metal thefts goes beyond car parts. Previous reporting has linked rising metal prices to more robberies targeting infrastructure and mobility across Spain.
The Guardia Civil’s cross-province operation relied on fast intelligence sharing and coordinated raids. For Spanish drivers, the risk now extends to the exhaust system itself.
