Police smashed an organised crime gang accused of stealing £1.5million worth of high-value cars from people’s driveways.
Officers launched dawn raids on ten homes in London, Essex and Hertfordshire in the early hours of Wednesday targeting the gang they believe are responsible for the theft of at least 70 high-value cars, with the majority being Range Rovers.
Nine people aged between 20 and 43, have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to steal vehicles and conspiracy to convert criminal property.
They have been taken to an east London police station where they remain in custody.
Detectives claim the gang are responsible for stealing, cloning and fraudulently selling high-value vehicles, with the first theft dating back to November 2019.
The gang are alleged to have cars stolen from people’s driveways in London, Surrey, Kent, Essex and Hertfordshire. The majority were keyless car thefts – where thieves use a device to capture the key fobs signal to trick the car into opening.
After they are believed to have fraudulently sold them in London and Essex.
Det Con Tom Jenkins, the investigating officer from the North East CID, said: “We have listened to what the public have told us and we understand that the theft of a vehicle, especially from your own driveway, is extremely distressing and an area of policing that the community want us to focus on.
“For many months, we have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to build evidence against the Organised Crime Group we believe to be responsible for the theft and fraudulent resale of at least 70 high-value vehicle to enable us to make our arrests today.
“I hope this shows the community that we take this crime type very seriously, and we will do everything in our power to bring those responsible to justice.
“I’d remind people with electronic car keys to keep them away from doors and in a signal blocking pouch when not in use to prevent thieves scanning it to open and steal your car nearby.
“I’d also urge those buying cars to remain vigilant. If you buy a stolen car, not only would it result in you losing your money and having no car, but you could be arrested for handling stolen goods.
“When buying a vehicle, always check the DVLA V5 document and make sure the Vehicle Identification Number on the vehicle is the same as on the document.”
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