– SPANISH CIVIL GUARD
The Guardia Civil of the Region of Murcia has completed the operation ‘Ximergia-Tubotron’ with the arrest/investigation of seven people, alleged members of a criminal group dedicated to the Nazarene scam, which has led to the recovery of more than 31 tons of irrigation hoses, valued at 400,000 euros.
The operation began when the Guardia Civil became aware of the scams committed against two companies dedicated to the sale of agricultural materials, based in Lorca (Murcia) and Pulpí (Almería), which reported the facts to the Guardia Civil of Águilas.
According to the victims, months after sending abundant materials to a company based in Seville, they had not received payment for the goods and had not been able to contact the supposed ‘salesman’ who had placed the orders.
Investigations revealed that the Seville-based company had also reported certain anomalies after receiving several complaints about non-payment for products that had never been purchased.
The Benemérita found out that this Andalusian company had been visited by the alleged mastermind of the plot, who pretended to be interested in starting a business relationship. In reality, this was the first phase of a plan, hatched with the aim of impersonating him in order to defraud other companies.
MODUS OPERANDI: THE NAZARENE SCAM
The ‘modus operandi’ is known as the ‘Nazarene scam’ which consists of impersonating a company of recognised solvency in order to, in its name, buy products that are easy to sell on the black market from other companies in the sector.
According to the investigation, after creating fake e-mail accounts, impersonating the Sevillian company, they placed large orders for irrigation hoses. In these orders, they modified the delivery point of the materials to make them arrive in places that were difficult to locate, where they stored them until they could ‘sell’ them.
In the first phase of the operation, two people were arrested, one of them the alleged ringleader of the criminal group now dismantled, who, after being brought before the courts, were sent to prison as they had judicial requisitions ordering their search, arrest and imprisonment for crimes of this nature.
Recently, the development of the investigation has led to the discovery of the existence of two warehouses in Alguazas (Murcia) and Villena (Alicante) suspected of housing the illicitly acquired materials.
MORE THAN 31 TONNES OF IRRIGATION HOSES RECOVERED
The inspection of these properties has resulted in the recovery of more than 31 tons of irrigation tape, valued at 400,000 euros, and the investigation of five people as alleged perpetrators of the investigated.
Operation ‘Ximergia-Tubotron’ has ended with the dismantling of an alleged criminal group, made up of seven people, located in Murcia (5), Santoña (Cantabria) and Barcelona, who have been arrested/investigated as alleged perpetrators of the crimes of fraud, usurpation of civil status, false documentation and membership of a criminal group.
The detainees/investigated and the proceedings have been handed over to the court of instruction of Lorca (Murcia).