Ferrari & Range Rover owned by Premier League stars among £27m worth of stolen cars recovered by elite police squad
LUXURY cars belonging to Premier League footballers have been recovered by a special police unit targeting thieves.
The Stolen Vehicle Intelligence Unit, based in Essex, has recovered more than 700 vehicles worth £27million in a record-breaking 12 months.
The team once retrieved more than £1million worth of vehicles in a week after intercepting shipping containers hiding a Ferrari and a Range Rover belonging to Premier League footballers.
In total, the car crime-fighting police squad have recovered or identified 737 stolen vehicles in the past year.
A warrant in Canvey Island, Essex, resulted in three arrests and the discovery of £640,000 of cars thanks to the unit.
Essex Police’s PC Paul Gerrish, PC Phil Pentelow and analyst Hannah Gerrish also found a Rolls-Royce worth £360,000 in a container.
PC Gerrish said the majority of their work involves retrieving hatchbacks, saloons and vans.
“We are seeing a trend at the moment of thieves targeting family cars – Hyundais, Toyotas, Lexuses – and pushing them back out into the market with false identities,” he said.
“These are the vehicles that make a huge difference to people’s daily lives.
“It’s very satisfying when we return a car to a family who need it to drive the children to school, or we take a van back to someone who relies on it for their job.”
Since the start of 2021, the team have recovered or identified more than 1,800 vehicles worth £59.5million.
PC Gerrish said: “We are continuing to dismantle the organised criminal networks behind these thefts.
“We’ve tracked down a record number of vehicles in the past year and recently we’ve had three very big jobs where we’ve recovered huge hauls of cars.”
There were 130,521 motor vehicle thefts in England and Wales in 2023 which is a large increase when compared with the previous year, according to Statista.
It comes after Insurance experts at LV warned drivers over sinister new tech car thieves are using.
And this plucky car owner managed to retrieve her car by herself using a little-known trick after thieves took the motor.
How to keep your car safe
Tips from the Metroploitin Police on how to protect your vehicle from thieves.
Lock your vehicle
- Locking your vehicle greatly reduces the possibility of it being targeted by an opportunity thief.
- It is illegal to leave your vehicle with the engine running.
- If your car is stolen while it’s left like this your insurer won’t pay out because you won’t be covered.
Keep the keys safe
- Keep your keys out of view when at home.
- It’s not uncommon for car keys to be stolen from inside your home by thieves fishing for them with a stick.
- If you’re selling your car do not allow the keys out of your sight, thieves can clone them and use them later to steal your vehicle.
How to protect your keyless entry car
- When at home keep your car key (and the spare) well away from the car.
- Put the keys in a screened or signal-blocking pouch, such as a Faraday Bag and check if the bag or pouch is still working every few months.
- Reprogramme your keys if you buy a second-hand car.
- Turn off wireless signals on your fob when it’s not being used.
Be aware of carjackers
- In traffic, drive with the doors locked and leave enough space in front of you to enable you to get out of a tight spot.
- If your vehicle is bumped from behind, wait to pull over – somewhere safe and preferably where there are people.
- If you’re at all suspicious, consider calling the police.
Park responsibly
- It’s always advisable to avoid parking in dark and secluded areas.
- It’s worth an extra five or ten-minute walk if it means your vehicle is left on a well-lit and busier street.
Watch for illegal tow trucks
- Thieves often attempt to lift vehicles from the street, literally.
- If you see a towaway crew acting suspiciously then report it to the police.
Fit good in-car security locks
- install measures to prevent thieves from driving off with your car even if they were able to get into the vehicle.
- It’s also worth speaking to your vehicle dealership about installing an aftermarket immobiliser.
- Immobilisers prevent a vehicle from starting unless the correct fob, key or activation process is used.
Double-check electronic locking
- Electronic devices can be used to jam the electronic signal from your key fob to lock your vehicle.
- Always manually check your vehicle has locked before walking away.
Before owning, check for cloning
- Changing the identity of a vehicle, known as vehicle cloning, can be as simple as adding stolen number plates.
- When buying a vehicle, always check the DVLA V5 document and make sure the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on the vehicle is the same as on the document.
Secure your port
- Many modern vehicles are fitted with engine management diagnostic ports, which can unlock and start your vehicle.
- If your vehicle has this type of port, consider fitting a lockable cover.