26 arrested for using manipulated digital tachographs

The Guardia Civil has arrested a total of 26 businessmen and drivers who were using manipulated digital tachographs.

26 businessmen and drivers have been arrested by the Guardia Civil for using manipulated tachographs, a device that records a drivers’ actions. The arrests have been carried out in several Spanish provinces: Murcia, Alicante, Valencia, Cantabria, Ciudad Real, Huelva, Cordoba and Alicante.

This is the second phase of the Pantaco operation, in which the Guardia Civil already took down an organisation last year that was dedicated to the sale of manipulated tachographs.

The installation and use of this type of manipulated tachograph device are punishable as a crime of falsification of an official document, in addition to the possibility of investigation of the company that has them installed in their vehicles for a possible crime against workers’ rights.

This type of device is installed in all kinds of vehicles that weigh more than 3.5 tons or that can transport 9 or more people. The organisation manipulated the digital tachograph by modifying the software, offering the carrier the possibility of driving without the driving hours or the kilometres travelled being recorded.

Thanks to this type of fraud, when the officers carry out an inspection, the result is a document that misleads its authenticity, giving false registration data. This falsified result contains information regarding driving times, rest, availability, other jobs, speed and distance travelled, with the consequent danger to road safety, in addition to unfair competition for the rest of the sector.

Investigations continue to be opened by the Investigating Court that is hearing the case, not ruling out subsequent arrests.

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