The police uncovered a scheme in which fraudsters simulated theft of luxury cars, dismantled them for parts, got insurance, and then collected the cars back and sold them.
At 8 am on February 24, a 42-year-old member of a criminal group arrived in a white Peugeot 107, driven by his accomplice, to Athens’ El Venizelos airport. He disembarked and headed for the airport parking lot. Without looking among the hundreds of parked cars, he headed straight for the luxurious Bentley parked in parking lot P1.
He opened the door with the key, started the engine and drove to the auto repair shop, which is in the Metamorfosi area. There, the attackers removed the engine and other parts from the luxury car. At 00:20 on February 25, the defendants loaded the gutted Bentley body onto the Lada Niva trailer and left it on the road in the Metamorfosi area. At the same time, the criminals guessed that the car was found and, accordingly, reported to the police about the find.
Thus, the theft was confirmed, and the owner was going to get insurance in the amount of 200,000 euros.
What should have happened next according to police investigators
The body of the luxury car had to be returned to its owner, a gynecologist, an accomplice of the fraudulent scheme.
Then the car would be reassembled in a car repair shop. The criminals would only have to change the chassis number, and the supercar would again “go out” for sale at a car dealership located in the fashionable metropolitan area of Nea Erythraia, which belongs to the alleged head of the criminal group.
Dodge and Porsche Cayenne
Fraudsters have used the same scheme at least two more times in the past, stealing two luxury cars – a Dodge viper and a Porsche Cayenne.
The head of the criminal group was charged with a similar charge in 2016.
The alleged leader of the presutp group was already charged in 2016 with a felony of theft and luxury car fraud. But, for a reason unknown to the general public, he was released very quickly.
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