The Guardia Civil have arrested two men from Reus and Tarragona accused of running a sophisticated cross-provincial theft operation, travelling to the neighbouring province of Castelló to steal valuable car parts before selling them back in Catalonia.
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Police believe the pair, aged 30 and 43, are responsible for at least eight thefts of catalytic converters from vehicles in several towns along the Castelló coast. According to a report from El Caso, their strategy involved committing the crimes far from their homes in the province of Tarragona in an attempt to evade detection by local police.
Operation Catalepsis
The Guardia Civil’s Judicial Police Team in Vinaròs launched ‘Operation Catalepsis’ in June 2025. Authorities responded to a noticeable increase in police reports from residents whose parked cars had been targeted for their catalytic converters.
These devices are a crucial part of a vehicle’s exhaust system, reducing toxic emissions. However, they are also a prime target for thieves because they contain a honeycomb mesh coated with precious metals, including platinum, palladium, and rhodium. The high market value of these metals makes stolen converters a lucrative prize for criminals, who sell them on to be stripped and recycled.
Thefts of valuable materials have become a persistent issue for law enforcement across Catalonia. This case follows other recent property crimes, including arrests for the large-scale theft of copper cables in Martorell and another for the theft of 30 lottery tickets in El Prat.
A Coordinated Criminal Method
Investigators discovered that the two men operated with a clear and efficient method. While one individual kept watch, the other would use a hydraulic jack to quickly lift the targeted vehicle. They would then use a metal-cutting tool to saw off the catalytic converter in a matter of minutes.
To further obscure their activities, the suspects reportedly travelled from their homes in Reus and Tarragona to the Castelló province using different vehicles for each trip, making it harder for police to track their movements.
After acquiring the stolen parts, they would return to Catalonia to sell them, ensuring the point of sale was geographically removed from the scene of the crime. The pair committed eight thefts during 2025 in the coastal municipalities of Vinaròs, Benicarló, Peníscola, Alcalà de Xivert, Orpesa del Mar, and Benicàssim.
After gathering sufficient evidence, the Guardia Civil located and arrested both men. The investigation remains open; authorities have not ruled out linking the pair to additional unsolved thefts in the region.
