Malaga police seize 36 vehicles in major crackdown on illegal ‘fake’ airport transfers

Malaga Local Police, in coordination with the regional Ministry of Development, have reported 36 vehicles for providing illegal private hire services (VTC) following a major enforcement drive dubbed Operation 'Transporte Legítimo'.

The investigation was launched to identify and impound vehicles operating as "pirate taxis" - transporting passengers without the mandatory legal licences. Officers intensified surveillance across the city’s transport hotspots, with a primary focus on Malaga Airport, the city centre, and the western districts.

Throughout the operation, police conducted 2,900 inspections. Beyond the 36 vehicles caught operating without VTC permits, the crackdown uncovered several serious criminal offences:

• Document Forgery: Two individuals were arrested and three criminal investigations opened regarding falsified paperwork.

• Insurance Evasion: One vehicle was immediately immobilised for carrying passengers without the compulsory commercial insurance.

• Number Plate Scams: One driver was caught using a registration plate belonging to a different vehicle within the same company.

• Deceptive Branding: Officers intercepted a vehicle registered for private use that was sporting blue number plates (the legal requirement for taxis and VTCs in Spain) to dupe unsuspecting tourists into believing it was legitimate.

The police uncovered a sophisticated "licence doubling" scam. In several instances, owners who had sold their VTC permits or transferred them to new vehicles continued to use the old, unlicensed vehicles for passenger transport.

Crucially, online booking platforms, unaware that the licences had been transferred or cancelled, continued to assign jobs to these "ghost" vehicles, inadvertently putting passengers at risk.

The reach of the operation extended to the business side of the industry. Authorities investigated 25 transport companies, uncovering irregular hiring practices at four firms. These cases have been referred to the Labour Inspectorate and Social Security authorities for further action.

The first phase of the operation concluded at the end of April. Police officials noted a "significant decline" in illegal transport activity following the seizures but confirmed that surveillance will remain high.