The Civil Guard has arrested a man in Tuineje, Fuerteventura, accused of misappropriation, fraud and document forgery. The employee allegedly sold hydraulic materials worth €153,825.
A 47-year-old man was arrested on July 17 in the municipality of Tuineje, Fuerteventura, as the presumed author of a continued crime of misappropriation, fraud and document forgery. The facts came to light following an investigation by the Civil Guard post in Gran Tarajal, which estimates an initial economic loss of €153,825.67 for the affected company.
The investigation began after the company, based on another island, filed a complaint upon detecting the absence of a large quantity of high-value hydraulic materials. According to sources from the investigation, the person in charge of administration went to the Tuineje warehouse during the detained man's sick leave and discovered that the computer records did not match the products available for sale.
The suspect's modus operandi, according to the Civil Guard, involved forging guarantees, invoices and delivery notes to sell the products at a price much lower than the official one, always collecting cash. In this way, he would have been stealing materials for months without raising suspicion until the external inventory revealed the financial gap.
During the investigation, agents analysed footage from the warehouse's security cameras, reviewed numerous financial documents and examined instant messaging conversations. They also interviewed several customers who had purchased materials at anomalous prices, which helped reconstruct the scheme.
The detainee, who worked as an employee of the company, abused the trust placed in him by the owners to carry out the fraud. The Civil Guard has not specified whether the man had a criminal record, although sources close to the case indicate that the investigation remains open to determine if there are more people involved or if the actual loss is greater.
After his arrest, the presumed author was placed at the disposal of the Instruction Section of the Court of First Instance of Puerto del Rosario, which will decide on his procedural situation. The Court has ordered the secrecy of the proceedings, so no further details have been provided regarding the interrogation or possible precautionary measures.
The residents of Tuineje, a municipality in the southeast of Fuerteventura, have expressed their surprise at what happened, as the company was well-known in the area for its activity in the hydraulic sector. Local sources indicate that the detainee was a trusted person in the company, which would have facilitated the commission of the crimes over an extended period.
The Civil Guard recommends that companies strengthen internal controls, especially regarding inventories and invoicing, to avoid such situations. In this case, the lack of supervision allowed losses to accumulate to a significant figure before being detected.
The detainee faces penalties that could reach six years in prison for the crimes of misappropriation and continued fraud, in addition to document forgery. The affected company, for its part, has announced that it will file a private prosecution to claim the corresponding compensation.
This incident highlights the importance of citizen collaboration and the swift action of security forces. The initial complaint and subsequent investigative work have been key to clarifying the facts and preventing the economic damage from being even greater.
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