The walking fish market of perjury. It was all about finding unsuspecting European tourists and extorting them illegally. The Civil Guard, the prestigious and admired national security force of the Canary Islands, has dismantled an illegal collection system operating in the heart of Gran Canaria's tourist area. A local police officer from Mogán has been arrested on charges of systematically misappropriating, for at least five years, money from traffic fines issued to foreign nationals. He is charged with alleged crimes of embezzlement of public funds and administrative misconduct.
The investigation, which began in June 2025, has uncovered a scheme of "criminal arbitrage" designed to exploit the vulnerability of tourists. The officer strategically positioned himself in high-traffic areas of Puerto Rico, where he primarily intercepted rental car drivers. After issuing a traffic violation, the officer demanded immediate cash payment of the fine, taking advantage of the fact that the tourist's profile makes any subsequent administrative claim difficult once they leave the island.
To prevent the fraud from being detected by municipal control systems, the arrested man allegedly interrupted the processing of files or cancelled them without any legal justification. In this way, the money never reached the Mogán Town Hall coffers, disappearing from the official accounting system the moment it was collected on the street.
The investigation, carried out in collaboration with the Local Police Headquarters and the Mogán City Council, estimates that the illegal activity continued from 2021. During this period, the officer allegedly collected approximately €135.000 illegally, corresponding to more than a thousand fines. The Civil Guard has located several affected tourists who confirmed that they were required to pay in cash without being offered any alternative through administrative channels.
Following a thorough analysis of the annulled files and months of discreet surveillance of the suspect's activities, the officer was brought before a judge on Wednesday. After testifying before the duty judge, he was released on bail while the investigation continues to determine the full extent of the embezzlement and whether others were involved in the sanctions cancellation network.
