They used a stolen crane to move entire cars to hidden places
En Granada, tres hombres con formación mecánica fueron detenidos tras meses de investigación por orquestar un sistema de robo que convertía talleres y desguaces en proveedores involuntarios de un mercado negro de piezas. La sofisticación del método —robar una grúa para mover vehículos ajenos sin levantar sospechas, desguazarlos en lugares remotos y vender los componentes por encargo— revela cómo el crimen organizado transforma el robo ordinario en una cadena de suministro industrializada. Lo que comenzó como hurto se convirtió en arsonismo deliberado, señal de que la voluntad de borrar huellas puede escalar tan rápido como la propia operación.
- Tres hombres con conocimientos mecánicos diseñaron un sistema de robo a medida: identificaban vehículos en talleres, los trasladaban con una grúa robada y los desguazaban por encargo en lugares apartados.
- El robo de la grúa en Churriana de la Vega en septiembre fue el detonante que puso en marcha toda la operación, dotando al grupo de la capacidad logística que necesitaba para actuar con impunidad.
- La quema deliberada de un vehículo en Dúrcal para destruir evidencias marcó un punto de inflexión: la banda estaba dispuesta a cometer delitos adicionales para proteger la red.
- La investigación, bautizada como operación Molkas y coordinada desde Armilla, tejió los cabos sueltos —cámaras de vigilancia, testimonios y patrones de robo— hasta conectar incidentes dispersos en una sola trama.
- Los tres detenidos enfrentan ahora cargos de incendio provocado, robo con fuerza en grado de tentativa y dos delitos consumados de sustracción de vehículos y piezas, y han sido entregados a la autoridad judicial.
La Guardia Civil detuvo en Granada a tres hombres de entre treinta y tantos y cuarenta y pocos años tras una investigación de varios meses sobre una red de robos coordinados que tenía como objetivo talleres mecánicos y desguaces de toda la provincia. Los tres, con formación mecánica, habían montado un esquema para robar vehículos, extraer sus piezas de mayor valor y venderlas a particulares y chatarrerías.
Todo comenzó en septiembre con el robo de una grúa en un desguace de Churriana de la Vega, junto con herramientas, otro vehículo y un remolque. La grúa era la pieza clave: les permitía llevarse coches aparcados en talleres hasta lugares remotos donde podían desguazarlos sin riesgo de ser descubiertos. La operación, denominada Molkas por la unidad de investigación de Armilla, reveló una división de tareas clara y metódica. Algunos encargos llegaban por petición expresa: clientes que solicitaban componentes concretos y que los tres se encargaban de localizar y robar a medida.
Un episodio en el municipio de Dúrcal mostró hasta dónde estaban dispuestos a llegar: tras extraer las piezas de un vehículo, le prendieron fuego para eliminar cualquier rastro forense. La investigación cobró impulso cuando los agentes vincularon un intento fallido de robo en Motril —donde dos de los detenidos ya habían sido interceptados por la Policía Nacional— con el mismo patrón de actuación. Las imágenes de cámaras de vigilancia, los testimonios y las observaciones de patrulla permitieron unir los puntos.
Los tres acusados se enfrentan a cargos de incendio provocado, robo con fuerza en tentativa y dos delitos consumados de sustracción de vehículos, piezas y herramientas. El caso ilustra cómo el robo de automóviles ha evolucionado hacia algo más complejo: una cadena de suministro en la que el vehículo robado no es el fin, sino la materia prima.
Three men in their late thirties and early forties were arrested by the Guardia Civil in Granada after a months-long investigation into a coordinated theft operation that targeted repair shops and scrapyards across the province. The men, all with mechanical training, had orchestrated a scheme to steal vehicles and strip them for high-value parts, which they then sold to private buyers and scrap dealers for profit.
The operation began in September when the three men stole a crane from a scrapyard in Churriana de la Vega. That same theft also netted them various tools, another vehicle, and a trailer. The crane, however, was the linchpin of their plan. With it, they could move parked cars from repair shops to remote locations where they could work undisturbed, dismantling engines and chassis components without risk of detection. The Guardia Civil's investigation unit, based in Armilla, eventually named the operation Molkas.
The men worked with clear division of labor and purpose. They would identify vehicles parked at mechanical workshops, use the stolen crane to transport them to hidden spots, and then systematically extract the parts they knew had market value. Some jobs came on commission—customers would request specific components, and the three would locate vehicles containing those parts and steal them to order. The operation was methodical and coordinated, with each man playing his role in the larger scheme.
One incident revealed how far the men were willing to go to cover their tracks. After removing valuable parts from a vehicle in the municipality of Dúrcal, they deliberately set the car on fire to destroy evidence of the theft. The burned-out shell was meant to erase any forensic trail linking them to the crime.
The investigation gained momentum when officers learned of a failed vehicle theft attempt near a repair shop in Motril that matched the same pattern. Two of the men arrested in the Granada operation had already been detained by the National Police in connection with that incident. Surveillance camera footage from various locations, combined with witness statements and patrol observations, allowed investigators to link the separate crimes into a single coordinated network of theft and dismantling.
All three men now face multiple charges: arson in connection with the burned vehicle, attempted robbery with force, and two counts of completed theft involving motor vehicles, auto parts, tools, and other property taken from the scrapyard and various workshops. They have been turned over to judicial authorities. The operation demonstrates how organized auto theft has evolved beyond simple car stealing into a sophisticated supply chain where stolen vehicles become raw material for a parts-resale business.
Notable Quotes
The men had coordinated to steal specific vehicles on commission and extract particular parts for resale to private buyers and scrap dealers— Guardia Civil investigation summary
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why steal a crane specifically? They could have just broken into the shops directly.
The crane was about control and scale. It let them move entire vehicles without leaving the car on the road where someone might see it. They could work in hidden places, take their time, extract exactly what they wanted.
So this wasn't desperate theft—it was a business model.
Exactly. They had customers placing orders for specific parts. They weren't stealing randomly; they were filling orders, like a parts supplier, except the supply chain started with grand theft auto.
And the fire in Dúrcal—that's the moment they realized they were in real trouble.
Or it's the moment they realized they needed to escalate. Burning a car to hide evidence isn't panic; it's calculation. They'd already committed multiple felonies. One more didn't matter to them.
How long do you think they'd been running this before they got caught?
The investigation focused on September, but that's probably just when the Guardia Civil started looking. The real operation could have been running for months before that. The fact that they had a failed attempt in Motril suggests they were active across the whole province.
What stops someone like this?
Usually it's the small thing—a camera they didn't notice, a witness who remembers a detail, a pattern that repeats just enough times that someone connects the dots. In this case, it was all three.