Rental cars stolen, then shipped into Malta – Italian police

Cars rented out across Europe were being stolen and shipped out from the port of Pozallo, in Italy, where they were allegedly being sold in Malta, Italian police said.

Mobile squad officers from Ragusa said they were monitoring activity in the Pozzallo departure point, a main gateway to Malta, where they said that thieves “were conspiring to enrich themselves illicitly at the expense of rental companies.”

Six cars are believed to have already been sold on into Malta, after being reported stolen.

An unnamed Ragusa man was identified as having rented an “expensive” car from Germany, valued at €45,000, one that only had 30km on its odometer, who then drove it down to Ragusa in a bid to strike a deal with “either Italian or Maltese delinquents”.

They would then buy a catamaran ticket on somebody else’s name, who takes the car away, while back in Italy they would register a stolen car complaint from some distant area.

The police said the criminals acquiring the cars in Malta were also dismantling them to resell their spare parts.