Police seized £14m worth of stolen cars and vehicle parts in 2022
>
Police in Essex discovered more than £14 million worth of stolen luxury cars last year that were to be shipped abroad and stripped for highly valuable parts.
Footage from an investigation shows more than 600 high-end vehicles chopped and crushed in a shipping container, many of which were “stolen to order” and destined to be sold abroad at high prices.
Essex Police’s three-man Stolen Vehicle Intelligence Unit (SVIU) was behind the discovery of the container, which was packed with bumpers, steering wheels and headlights.
When the vehicles and their parts arrive at destinations such as the Middle East and Africa, they are stripped for parts that can be very valuable.
The loot included the £100,000 Range Rover owned by an Essex couple, who awoke to find their car stolen from their driveway in the night, and a Rolls-Royce Dawn stolen in London and bound for home in a shipping container. Dubai.
Vehicle parts including bumpers, headlights and steering wheels have all been discovered by Essex Police’s Stolen Vehicle Intelligence Unit (SVIU)
Images from a study show more than 600 high-performance engines chopped and crushed in a shipping container
Cars are chopped up and the parts are sold to other countries for exorbitant prices
According to police, the cars are stolen to order before being broken down for sale
The SVIU team broke a record last year by recovering 626 vehicles and parts, a 30 per cent increase on 2021, with total loot estimated at £14 million.
The most valuable vehicle the team discovered was a Rolls-Royce Dawn that had been stolen in London and was bound for Dubai in a shipping container from the London Gateway Port in Thurrock.
The missing car had recently cost its owner £350,000 and was stored alongside parts from eight stolen Range Rovers.
While the team regularly seizes cars several hours after being taken, that was not the case for a couple in Essex.
Anthony and Danielle Wilson discovered their £100,000 Land Rover Sport rolled off their driveway while they slept in July 2021. It took the thieves just 63 seconds to steal the vehicle.
Their car was found a month later in a container in the port of Tilbury in Essex.
SVIU’s PC Paul Gerrish claims the record year is the result of a more “lucrative market.”
‘It’s getting hotter. It’s a lucrative market,’ he said.
The SVIU team broke a record last year by recovering 626 vehicles and parts, a 30 per cent increase from 2021, with a total estimated amount of £14 million
According to members of the SVIU team, the market for cars and auto parts abroad is ‘lucrative’
Parts have been found in various shipping containers in ports across Essex
A mattress has been carefully placed on this vehicle to protect it from damage
Cars and car parts have been chopped up and crammed into shipping containers
“We have done a few container interceptions where the front of the vehicles is exported to Dubai. In one container we found between eight and ten stolen vehicles, some worth up to £100,000 per car.
“The total loot from one of our jobs was over a million pounds worth of stolen cars in one fell swoop.”
SVIU’s PC Phil Pentelow added, “Even with some amount of panel damage [from the container] that car is still worth a lot of money.
“It gives you an idea of the monetary value behind it and the effort criminals go to to export our victims’ cars to other parts of the world.”
Third SVIU team member, analyst Hannah Gerrish, said, “Car thefts are a larger network of crime. That is that we try to form an image of what we see and hear. It’s all about connecting the dots.’
If you’re concerned about the safety of your vehicle, there are steps car owners can take.
Police have discovered stolen engines and parts hidden in shipping containers along the coast
When the vehicles and their parts arrive at destinations such as the Middle East and Africa, they are stripped for parts that can be very valuable
The maximum number of vehicles and parts are compressed in sea containers destined for overseas
Some cars have been chopped up as much as possible, preserving the vital parts
“Learn more about your car’s vulnerabilities,” PC Pentelow added. “There are videos online where you can find this information.
‘Check the Secured by Design website for recommended safety features for your car and at least consider investing in a Disklok for your steering wheel.
‘The biggest vulnerability, however, is leaving your car unlocked. Double lock your car and check it. We see CCTV footage of thefts where thieves try the car door and it’s not locked.’
Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on it, we may earn a small commission. That helps us fund This Is Money and use it for free. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any commercial relationship to compromise our editorial independence.