Police seize stolen vehicles worth more than £100k as officers clamp down on thefts
Range Rover worth £80,000 was recovered
PA
Police officers have recovered a huge number of vehicles worth over £100,000 as a new crackdown on thefts is launched.
Greater Manchester Police have recovered 43 vehicles in its latest mission to tackle crime in North England.
Among the vehicles recovered included a £80,000 Range Rover, a £40,000 VW Tiguan and an additional 12 diggers, each valued at £30,000.
Two people were arrested on suspicion of theft for the vehicles while recovering the stolen goods.
Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailingmotoring@gbnews.uk
Police recovered 43 stolen vehicles
GREATER MANCHESTER POLICE
Neighbourhood Sergeant Jay-Naren Singh from the Rochdale district said: “This is great proactive work shown by our officers, they are dedicated to keeping communities safe and are out in your neighbourhood tackling crime.
“We had significant intelligence to suggest that these vehicles were indeed stolen from different areas in Bury and Rochdale respectively, and we acted quickly to make sure we recovered as many of those as we possibly could.
“Working with our colleagues in the Stolen Vehicle Examination Unit helped us identify a number of vehicles which have had their identity changed. This is done by changing the number plates and/or the stamped in vehicle identification number.”
The police added that there are steps drivers can take to protect their vehicles and make it harder for “opportunistic” thieves.
“If you have a keyless entry car, please keep your keys in your property and well away from your parking space, consider purchasing a Faraday Pouch or steering wheel lock – which is proven to be a brilliant deterrent,” Singh stated.
Range Rover thefts have been on the rise all year. Most recently police officers found an increase in targeted robberies across Corsham, Chippenham and Calne, notably many of these involving keyless cars.
Detective Constable Kev Golledge, from the local Neighbourhood Team, said: “We want to strongly advise the public to invest sooner rather than later in a Faraday pouch/boxes to secure keys overnight and help prevent thefts. They aren’t expensive and can save a lot of hassle and financial loss.”
According to official figures by the Office for National Statistics, nearly 350 cars were stolen every day last year.
The ONS recorded 193,023 crimes for vehicles being broken into last year while during the same period in 2022, 218,431 people reported a car break-in.
Gus Park, managing director of AA Insurance Services, warned that despite the year-on-year reduction in offences, “the figures are simply too high”.
The expert said: “Unfortunately, the harsh reality is that every stolen car increases the cost of claims and pushes premiums up for everyone.
“A simple way to help reduce the cost of insurance is to target vehicle crime and do everything possible to eliminate vehicle theft.”
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
keyless cars are more susceptible to thefts
SOUTH YORKSHIRE POLICEIn January, the London Assembly responded to the vehicle theft rises and the impact on insurance by stating that there are a variety of factors that lead to pricing of insurance premiums, one being the rise in car thefts.
The assembly said: "The Met has recently completed two months surge activity funded by the Mayor’s Office which resulted in a 136.8 per cent increase in crimes solved, 59 arrests for theft of motor vehicle, and 100 additional stolen vehicles recovered."
You may like
