Luxury hybrid car thieves taken down in Belgium, Italy and Spain

The Russian-speaking criminal network, composed mainly of Moldovan nationals, targeted high-end hybrid vehicles across northern Italy and Spain’s Marbella region. The stolen cars and their components (bodywork, battery packs, mechanical parts) were shipped through the European port of Antwerp to international illegal markets.Action dayThe action day on 7 October 2025 resulted in 9 arrests in the regions of Reggio Emilia and Lombardy in Italy. In addition, EUR 35 000 in cash and EUR 150 000 in cryptocurrencies were also seized.Around 100 officers took part in the coordinated action, supported by Spanish Guardia Civil officers deployed to Belgium and Italy, and Italian Carabinieri teams sent to Spain and Belgium. Crypto-experts from Belgium, Italy and Spain joined the searches to secure and recover illicit digital assets.A coordination centre was set up at Eurojust, while Europol deployed experts and a mobile office to Italy and Belgium.Sophisticated modus operandiThe criminals operated with military-style precision. Investigators uncovered:Dedicated teams for car thefts, storage and counterfeitingUse of GPS trackers to monitor targeted vehiclesElectronic tools to bypass security systemsAlteration of VINs and licence plates from decommissioned cars to disguise stolen vehiclesLinks with shipping companies and criminal associates to move cars via AntwerpThe investigation also exposed a complex payment system involving multiple crypto platforms and wallets. Transfers worth around EUR 1 million in cryptocurrency were identified.European coordinationEuropol coordinated the international phase of the investigation, bringing together investigators from all involved countries and hosting operational meetings at its headquarters. Europol also supported national authorities with analysis and intelligence sharing, and will continue to provide on-the-spot support during follow-up actions.Eurojust supported a joint investigation team of the Italian and Spanish authorities set up in 2024 to dismantle the organised crime network.The following authorities took part in the investigation:Belgium: Federal Judicial Police of Antwerp (Federale Gerechtelijke Politie Antwerpen)Italy: Carabinieri of Reggio Emilia (Carabinieri di Reggio Emilia)Spain: Guardia Civil The investigation has been supported by the @ON Network funded by the EU Commission, led by the Italian Antimafia Investigation Directorate (DIA).