The Guardia Civil based in Motril Port arrested a man in his early 40s after trying to get a stolen vehicle onto the ferry for Melilla in North Africa.

The 42-year-old man has been charged with receiving stolen property and using forged documents.

The incident occurred on the night of January 30th during a routine customs, vehicles & passengers security check for the Melilla Ferry. During the inspection, officers noticed that the car had Italian licence plates so they took a closer look at the car and ownership docs.

The driver had provided the vehicle’s registration and a photocopy of its general rental conditions. The latter raised suspicions due to anomalies indicative of tampering. After contacting the rental company, they confirmed that a contract did not exist.

Although the vehicle was not initially listed as stolen in police databases, the rental company insisted it had been stolen. Consequently, they impounded the car whilst they coordinated with the Italian authorities.

The suspect, who was arrested on the 2nd, is being processed for receiving stolen goods and using false documents, as these crimes took place at the port. The original theft and document forgery, however, took place in Italy.

The man appeared before the Court of First Instance & Instruction No. 3 in Motril and was released on bail pending charges.

(News: Motril, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)

Keywords: Stolen Car Stopped at Port, Italy, Rental Car, Arrested, Document Forgery, Receiving Stolen Goods

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