24 Arrested For "Importing" Stolen Vehicles
Purchased a used SUV recently? If its a late model Toyota Prados, Mitsubishi Monteros and Nissan Forerunners, chances are it could be stolen and serial numbers and paperwork altered to show the vehicle recently entered the country legally.

The daily La Nación reported yesterday the efforts of the Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ) efforts in arresting 24 people, including several used car lot owners and an a customs agent, who operated an complicated and elaborate network of stealing cars, altering the vehicle identification number (VIN) and the paperwork and then sold to unsuspecting buyers.

The scheme was so elaborate that, with the help of a customs agent, the vehicle was made to believe that it just recently entered the country and sold from used car lots, usually at a discounted price of 10% to 30% lower than market value.

Authorities say professionals were the target purchasers that included executives, doctors and lawyers.

The group was comprised of a number of small businessmen who were in the business of importing and selling used vehicles and at least one official of the Ministerio de Hacienda (Revenue Ministry).

Authorities say that the group earned more than ¢1.5 billion colones (us$2.9 million dollars) in the 18 months of operation, calling the group the best organized and complex operation they have faced to date.

To alter the vehicles' identification number, the group used a high tech device that was able to fool authorities, including the Riteve SyC (the annual vehicular inspection) officials, who are required to report any anomalies in a vehicle's serial number.

The vehicles would have a new serial number that matched vehicles in circulation in other countries, including Nicaragua, Guatemala and the U.S. and then sold at various used car lots, including two major and well known lots, though police refused to identify them, that have meant a huge loss to many buyers when the band was apprehended.

In total 24 suspects were detained by police and are now facing a number of charges. A total of 165 stolen vehicles have been recovered, all late model SUV's.

Authorities say that the "new" owners of the vehicles will not be charged but will lose what they paid for them, as the vehicles will be returned to their rightful owners.

Authorities say the group has been operating since 2004 and had ties to other car theft rings in the country and including Guatemala and Nicaragua.

In the complex scheme, the group would contact known lawyers in Guatemala, Nicaragua and the U.S.  for "original" paperwork on certain types of vehicles and models that would then be used to "legally" enter and register the vehicle stolen in Costa Rica.

With the help of at least one customs official, the vehicle, with the paperwork that matched the altered serial number. would appear to have entered the country legally, the import taxes paid and then sent to Riteve for the required inspection.

With all that in hand, the stolen vehicle could then be registered at the  Registro Nacional. Once the process, that can take up two months, was complete, the vehicle would then be sold to unsuspecting buyers, who even if they investigated the legality of the vehicle, would find everything in order, never suspecting that the vehicle had been stolen in Costa Rican and was never imported as it was recorded.

Francisco Mejía, press secretary at the OIJ, explaine that "if a vehicle cost ¢17 million, the group would offer it for say ¢15 million. Many fell to the scam because the vehicle was properly registered. What they could not know is that the importation paperwork was false and the vehicle stolen."

Including, the stolen vehicles were appeared on several used car lots of new car dealers as some of the vehicles were used as trade-ins to purchase new cars.