Adrian is a former Spanish police officer with 10 years of professional experience. He joined the Frontex standing corps in 2020 and now he’s helping EU countries detect stolen cars.
“I am currently in Lithuania, where I help the authorities detect stolen vehicles. What is fascinating about this job is that by focusing on stolen cars, we can also help detect other types of cross-border crimes that involve cars. I am talking about smuggling of goods, drugs, cigarettes or people.
My work at the border serves all EU citizens. Almost everybody can be a victim of this crime. I need to be attentive and react quickly. Criminals are fast – they try to get stolen cars outside the EU before they are even introduced in a database.
During my missions at Frontex, I managed to detect several stolen vehicles, as well as help national authorities to dismantle a criminal network transporting cars across the border illegally.
Frontex is no longer a back-up at the EU’s borders. Thanks to its international network of border and coast guards, Frontex is there to help national authorities with border management.”
Motor vehicle crime detection officers are trained to identify crimes or irregularities related to vehicles crossing the EU’s borders. This is a profile that requires a lot of technical knowledge of cars, boats, lorries, their engines, VIN numbers as well as market value. Apart from this, the experts are also trained in identifying fraudulent documents.
