£1.2m of stolen luxury cars seized at UK ports

Although minor car crime is falling in the UK, it appears large-scale theft operations are still highly prevalent. Authorities have recovered a large amount of stolen prestige vehicles and parts in a multi-agency sting operation. The cars were recovered at British ports ready to be smuggled across the world.

The carefully-organised sting recovered everything from Range Rovers, BMWs, Audis and a Porsche Cayenne, to Scania trucks and even a valuable excavator. The total of 44 vehicles recovered came to an estimated value of £1.2 million with the video below showing the sheer amount that were crammed in to the metal shipping containers.

'Operation Toyer' was carried out by the National Crime Agency, ACPO Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service, and Border Force officials. They targeted containers and trailers at ports in Hull, Immingham, Grangemouth, London, Felixtowe, Tilbury and Southampton. 

It's believed the cars were destined for places as far afield as the USA, Burma and Malaysia. Eighteen had been stolen from owners' driveways across the country, whilst the rest were bought on finance and had outstanding payments. There was also a container full of parts from 29 BMWs.

The fact that so many were taken with the keys shows how official car crime statistics grossly distort the true theft rate.

Although this was a particularly large haul, Tom Dowdall, Deputy Director of the Border Policing Command at the NCA, said that smaller-scale recoveries were occuring on a daily basis. 

"Exporting and selling stolen vehicles on the black market is a lucrative business for organised crime groups as they also avoid tax or import duties. We know some groups even pay for drug shipments with cars"

Last year, 90,000 vehicles were stolen in the UK and a significant amount of these were exported by crime groups. According to the NCA, 4X4's are popular with the thieves, stolen to order in countries where their prestige makes them valuable.

Have you been the victim of organised car crime? Let us know in the comments section below...