فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
Spanish authorities have successfully dismantled a criminal network specializing in credit card fraud, which illegally used banking information to make online purchases. The suspects bought electronic devices and resold them in Morocco.
As part of an operation named “Dania,” the Spanish Civil Guard, in collaboration with the Bilbao Police, arrested four individuals and issued arrest warrants for seven others. The criminal group is accused of fraud, money laundering, and membership in a criminal organization.
Four search and seizure operations were carried out, along with eight inspections at establishments in the cities of Bilbao and Durango in the Basque region. The Spanish Interior Ministry stated in a release issued on December 23 that the organization had fraudulently obtained over 90,000 euros to purchase electronic devices, mainly high-end mobile phones, intended for resale in Morocco.
The investigation, codenamed Dania, began in November 2023 after a mobile phone distributor in Valencia reported suspicious orders for phones totaling 9,490 euros, destined for the provinces of Biscay and Barcelona.
Investigators discovered that the devices were being sent to Bilbao, Basauri, and Leioa. They identified 31 orders placed in 2023 using fictitious identities and 11 different phone numbers to cover their tracks. Additionally, 41 other shipments of electronic equipment were located, and two establishments in Bilbao were found to be involved in the fraud.
The alleged perpetrators had made fraudulent purchases using credit cards belonging to victims residing in Denmark, Germany, and Norway. The organization’s modus operandi involved obtaining personal data through “carding” (credit card fraud). They purchased high-end technological products, primarily valuable mobile terminals, from websites. These products could be quickly sold in the second-hand market without losing their economic value.
This operation highlights the growing challenges in combating cross-border cybercrime and underscores the importance of international cooperation in confronting such organized criminal networks.
