Spain's Guardia Civil breaks up transnational truck‑robbery gang

The Guardia Civil’s high‑impact operation "New Moon‑Ceres" dismantled a criminal network that specialised in hijacking moving trucks across Spain. Ten suspects were arrested after investigations linked them to at least eleven robberies between February and May in the provinces of Cáceres, Cuenca, Huesca, Toledo and Murcia. The thieves used the "surfero" method, employing two heavily modified vehicles to isolate a target truck, breach its cargo hold and transfer stolen goods to the accomplice vehicle. Police recovered a total of €481,000 worth of merchandise, including 16 plasma televisions (€12,800) and a tobacco shipment valued at €400,000. Seized assets also comprised a modified truck, a van, radio equipment and licence plates from several EU countries. The group’s members kept low‑profile stays of no more than two weeks in any one country and maintained false documents and rented homes in France, the United Kingdom, Italy and Germany. One detainee was subject to a European arrest warrant issued by Romania and Austria.