Police allege that the seven individuals are part of a larger Bulgarian crime network. They would steal high-value cars in less than a minute, falsify their VIN numbers, and then sell them on the international black market. Spanish authorities discovered that the group was using Madrid and Catalonia as venues to sell vehicles in the 350,000 euro (US$376,000) range. The thieves used sophisticated tools that allowed them to make off with practically any car in under 60 seconds. Once in the clear of any possible pursuit, the cars were given new vehicle identification numbers and chassis numbers.
Source: Written by Henry Pope, 2024-02-07; https://www.occrp.org/en/daily//en/daily/18445-gone-in-60-seconds-spanish-police-arrest-7-tied-to-car-theft-ring