Andorra Police Hunt Gang Selling Tungsten Fake Gold Jewellery to Shops
A suspected organised gang defrauded gold-buying shops in Andorra la Vella using tungsten jewellery thinly coated in gold. Police launched a major operation Friday but the five-plus suspects escaped. Losses topped €8,000; inquiries ongoing with international checks.
Key Points
- Gang sold fake tungsten-gold pieces to businesses in Andorra la Vella, causing over €8,000 losses across incidents on Thursday and Friday.
- Pieces passed initial acid tests but were re-detected on Friday, prompting police chase involving checkpoints at Aixovall and Soldeu.
- Suspects: at least five non-residents in two vehicles, including one woman; evaded capture despite two-hour operation.
- Police verifying seller details with Interpol/Europol; warn shops to enhance checks amid possible further scams.
Police in Andorra are investigating a suspected organised gang accused of defrauding gold-buying businesses by selling fake jewellery made primarily of tungsten coated with a thin layer of gold. The coating allowed the pieces to pass initial verification tests, in which a sample is scratched from the item and tested with a reagent that reacts positively to gold.
The scams took place on Thursday and Friday, mainly in Andorra la Vella. In one business, four different individuals from the group succeeded in selling fake items across three transactions on Thursday and one on Friday, resulting in losses exceeding €6,000. The shop filed the only formal complaint so far. A second establishment suffered around €2,000 in damages from a similar successful sale, though no complaint has been lodged yet. The gang attempted the fraud at least twice more on Thursday without success, and shop owners did not alert police at the time.
On Friday, when a fifth suspect entered the most affected shop, staff grew suspicious, retested the pieces, confirmed the deception and contacted police. This prompted a large-scale operation involving uniformed and plain-clothes officers. Controls were set up at key points including the Aixovall roundabout and Soldeu exit, with traffic services in Andorra la Vella spotting the suspects. Circulation was monitored for two hours, but the gang—believed to number at least five non-residents including at least one woman, travelling in two vehicles—evaded capture.
Police have details from the sellers provided during transactions, though their authenticity is under verification. These are being cross-checked with Interpol and Europol to check for prior records. At least one suspect has a previous history of similar activity in Andorra. Investigators believe the group acted separately at different times to avoid detection.
No further arrests have been made, and police warn gold-buying shops to heighten checks and report suspicions immediately, as more attempts cannot be ruled out. Additional victims may emerge as inquiries continue.
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