27 arrested in mileage scam

Twenty-seven people have been arrested by the National Police for vehicle ‘clocking’, winding back speedometers.

The National Police investigation involves suspects from multiple garages and car dealerships across Spain.

Three of the 27 people arrested were at the time found to be in possession of sophisticated diagnostic tools. Some of the vehicles are reported to have their speedometers ‘clocked’ from anything between 80,000 and 120,000 kilometres. Doing this almost doubles the value of the cars to be sold on.

So far, forty-eight vehicles have been identified as having been interfered with in this way; those responsible charging up to €900 for their criminal activity.

The investigation was launched following a complaint made to police in Ponferrada. A motorist was concerned that a vehicle he had recently purchased from a dealer in Toledo may not have been genuine.

On police examination, the vehicle was found to have been driven some 207,000 kilometres and not the 87,000 the speedometer was displaying.

Arrests have been made in Madrid, Toledo, Ciudad Real, Jaen and Alicante.

One line of inquiry revealed three people suspected of‘clocking’vehicles on behalf of the owner of a fleet leasing company.

The investigation was led by the Toledo Judicial Police.