During the first two days of the operation, it is estimated that 1 in every 4 caravans checked were previously reported stolen in the UK. The value of the stolen caravans discovered so far has been put at €1m. It is understood that none of the caravans had the correct legal paperwork or receipts, and that their VINs(vehicle identification numbers) may have been removed or tampered with.
All of the caravans are believed to have been bought by British ex-pats, who may now face losing them or else have to negotiate to buy them for a second time, from UK insurers who technically own them following settlement of insurance claims with the original owners.
Anyone considering the purchase of a caravan on the Costa Blanca or elsewhere should have proper checks conducted to verify its ownership and legality. Police advise that caravans should not be purchased in cash, and that a bank system should be used instead. They also advise that the caravan's history should be verified via the HPI system, which will check for any outstanding finance or reports of any insurance claims related to the VIN number. The cost of a check can be as little as £14.95, which may be a small price to pay compared to what could be lost if an unchecked caravan is subsequently discovered to be stolen and is reclaimed by the insurance company.
For more information on HPI checks and the Caravan Registration and Identification Scheme (CRiS), please click here.
The joint police investigation on the Costa Blanca continues.
David
