Spanish police launch probe into Irish 'asphalt' scammers after they rake in over €2m

The criminal organisation are believed to have made more than €2 million in one year.

The scam came to the attention of police in 2019 when a man lodged a complaint after he was scammed by the group.

After more than two years of investigation by the agents, five people have been identified as suspects and are being investigated.

The leader of the criminal group abroad has also been located.

The scam involved a member of the gang visiting a business posing as a representative from a construction company before offering to asphalt an area outside the building for well below market price.

Once the business agreed, the customer paid a deposit into a bank account belonging to the fake company.

A few months after the money was paid, the funds were then withdrawn in its entirety at ATMs or transferred abroad to make it difficult to trace.

After labourers from the fake company showed up at the premises and carry out the contracted work, the customer would then discover the work to be of extremely poor quality.

Authorities found that the group worked in housing estates as well as public schools.