Greater Manchester Police (GMP) have arrested four suspected ringleaders of an organised crime group allegedly involved in stealing high-end cars from driveways and shipping them abroad, including to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Officers carried out dawn raids on Wednesday, November 4, at a storage unit and three residential addresses in Oldham and Harpurhey, north Manchester. The operation followed intelligence that the gang was using sophisticated electronic devices to hack locking systems and steal high-powered vehicles across the UK.
Vehicles recovered and shipments intercepted
Seven international shipments have so far been intercepted, leading to the recovery of 19 stolen vehicles worth almost £600,000, which are suspected to be linked to the crime group.
Detective Chief Superintendent Lewis Hughes told the Manchester Evening News, which accompanied officers during the raids, that the vehicles were not cheap but prestigious and high-value, and that organised networks were exploiting weaknesses in various systems to take them from driveways and ship them abroad to other criminals.
How the gang operated
The officer said there was commonly no more than a few days between a car being stolen and leaving the country, with storage yards likely used as a stopgap. He added that parts might be taken or identifying features removed before shipping.
Hughes said the gang used sophisticated devices to electronically compromise high-powered vehicles, which were then taken from driveways, driven dangerously, and placed in metal containers for shipping abroad, specifically to the Congo in this operation. He noted that individuals involved were from the Congo, with some from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Arrests and impact
Two men in their 30s, a man in his 40s, and a woman in her 30s were arrested for conspiracy to steal motor vehicles and conspiracy to handle stolen motor vehicles. The raids took place on Middleton Road in Oldham and St Augustine Street, Foynes Close and Kingsbridge Road in Harpurhey.
Hughes said those arrested were suspected of being likely four of the leaders within the organised criminal network and remain in custody for questioning. He added that around 5,000 vehicles are stolen from people in Greater Manchester each year, with each offence potentially life-changing, affecting people's ability to take children to school, go to work, maintain a business, and go about family life.
