- NaVCIS has recovered 320 stolen UK-financed motorcycles from Europe since 2021
- Romania and Bulgaria account for 60% of the £9.6 million worth of cars recovered
- Tactic used by gangs to purchase cars on hire basis and then transport them out of the UK
We can reveal that criminal gangs are using a cunning tactic to steal financed cars from Britain and then transport them to other parts of Europe.
The National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS) told This is Money it has prevented or returned 320 stolen financed motorbikes since 2021 using HPI Check data.
The team has found and recovered vehicles worth £9.6 million, with Romania and Bulgaria accounting for 60 per cent of the seized value.
A specialist vehicle crime intelligence company has worked with HPI Check to track and locate hundreds of financed cars stolen from the UK and transported to Europe
The NaVCIS is funded by the Finance and Leasing Association and has one goal: to trace and recover stolen finance vehicles.
The goal is to stop large-scale illegal operations by using different strategies to hijack motorcycles.
Members of criminal gangs rent vehicles on hire purchase agreements in their own names. Before they default on their payments, they fit the cars with false number plates to avoid detection.
Others fraudulently raise finance using false identities, with vehicles leaving the UK via ferries, shipping containers and the Channel Tunnel.
The team has recovered and recovered vehicles worth £9.6 million, with Romania and Bulgaria accounting for 60% of the seized value. The NaVCIS is working with forces in these countries to identify stolen British models
However, HPI Check supports the intelligence service with its own vehicle data, which is made available to European law enforcement to identify stolen vehicles.
When vehicles are re-registered in the destination country, vital data from NaVCIS and HPI Check will indicate whether they are stolen UK cars.
If identified, they can be seized by local police and returned to the UK financial institutions to which they are entitled.
The tactic is one that has been put in the spotlight in recent years as the operation draws up a list of best practices to combat the rise in vehicle financing crime.
Since work began in 2007, more than 5,000 vehicles have been recovered in the UK and internationally, with a total value of more than £75 million.
Members of criminal gangs rent vehicles on hire purchase agreements in their own name or under a false identity
Sharon Naughton, Head of NaVCIS, said: “These are complex crimes that cut across borders and it will require the tireless work of the NaVCIS team of experts, together with partners across Europe, to identify and seize these vehicles.
‘Our collaboration with HPI on data is essential to the process. It is crucial to prevent further transit of stolen cars, reduce the chance of repossession and check vehicles for outstanding debts, theft and a host of other factors.’
Following the success of the operation, other foreign police services have also shown interest in collaborating with NaVCIS.
Jon Clay, data director at HPI, added: “Advanced technology ensures our data is updated in real time and we are pleased to be able to support the important work of NaVCIS.”