Police in Triana, Sevilla, have arrested a total of twelve people allegedly posing as gas inspectors and carrying out bogus repairs to gas installations.
The detainees belong to two different groups but both employing the same tactics, often intimidating elderly people into believing there was something seriously wrong with their gas installation and charging them a fortune to supposedly fix the problem. In one case the bill amounted to €5,000.
In total the group earned an estimated €120,000 from their efforts. They used false identities, invoices and other papers, posing as inspectors from two companies actually established in the inspection business, on in Sevilla and one in Cádiz. Although they carried out their activities in the name of the two legitimate companies, it is assumed it was without their knowledge.