Police in Vélez-Málaga have arrested a German national on charges of fraud and crimes against the administration of justice after he allegedly set his car on fire in order and falsely reported it stolen to claim the insurance money. A number of inconsistencies in his story led to his arrest.
The man reported the vehicle stolen at 10:00 on October 16th 2012, saying that it was taken while parked in Málaga. He also claimed that his luggage was in the trunk of the car.
However, the previous day, police in Rincón de la Victoria found a burned out Mercedes, with no licence plates, and their investigation led to the discovery that it was a vehicle reported stolen in Vélez-Málaga. The focus of the investigation then shifted and it was established that the incident was related to an attempt to obtain €15,000 from the insurance company for the loss of the car and the luggage.