Essex stolen cars worth more than £500,000 seized by police

Chop shops were raided and containers with stolen vehicles destined for overseas were stopped as Essex Police worked alongside other police forces and national agencies to disrupt organised crime in the past week.

Bagged up - Tyres and other parts next to a stolen car at Tilbury Port (Image: Essex Police) As part of the joint response, officers at Tilbury Port opened two containers last Tuesday awaiting shipments abroad, both holding four cars each - with vehicles discovered hidden behind mattresses and an arm chair in one. 

Police also patrolled vehicle crime hotspots across the county and intercepted crimes in action using dedicated teams including the force's specialist stolen vehicle intelligence unit.

Haul - Stolen motorcycles discovered at Tilbury Port (Image: Essex Police) This small team, who research and develop intelligence identifying locations involved in serious organised vehicle crime, discovered a container with two cars alongside parts identified as belonging to a further seven stolen vehicles, all worth a total of £320,000. They also intercepted a second container with a further £85,000 worth of cars. 

They also located cars disguised with false plates, among which was a £28,000-worth Land Rover Discovery.

Recovered - a stolen car being unloaded from one of the containers (Image: Essex Police)

Detective Chief Inspector Rachel Jeffery, south Essex lead, said: “At the beginning of the week of action, our road crime team arrested the driver of a stolen London-based Ford Focus. During the stop in Wickford, officers searched the car and found a number of items that could be used to steal other vehicles.

“By being proactive and responding quickly, we can detect the movement of stolen or cloned cars and identify and apprehend anyone concerned. 

“It sends a clear message to offenders that we are out there, calling a halt to car thefts and seizing offenders’ equipment to prevent further crime.

“Stopping cars allows us to gather intelligence that we can feed back to teams from across the force and I’d encourage anyone who has information about stolen vehicles or who is involved in stealing them, to contact us.

“The more intelligence we have, the better our policing response will be.”

Damaged car - police also raided chop shops (Image: Essex Police)

During the national intensification week, 316 stolen vehicles were recovered across the UK, with a value of more than £4million, and 180 arrests were made nationally.

Detective Inspector Brian Palombella, who coordinated Essex Police’s response, said: “Those involved in serious organised vehicle crime will find it harder to commit their crimes in Essex as a result of this operation and our ongoing work because of our enhanced intelligence gathering, our ability to identify links to OCGs and taking positive action.

“In the past, cars were often stolen by opportunistic individuals who took a single car, but in recent years, vehicle thefts have become the focus of serious organised crime groups who operate much like those involved in drugs and who present a significant risk to our communities. 

“But we are determined to root them out of Essex, making it hostile for criminals and to protect our residents and businesses as vehicle theft is not a victimless crime.”