A group of luxury car thieves operating in the UK has been sentenced to a collective 12-and-a-half years in prison for their involvement in stealing 53 high-value cars, worth over £3.7 million ($4.7 million), across England.
The gang, composed of four individuals aged between 28 and 30 years, orchestrated a series of sophisticated thefts spanning a year throughout the southeast of England. Their targets included prestigious brands such as Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Land Rover, Range Rover, and Alfa Romeo.
Their arrest in April 2023 came as the culmination of a meticulous investigation led by Surrey Police’s Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA).
The gang’s modus operandi involved utilizing the ‘relay attack’ technique to exploit vulnerabilities in keyless luxury vehicles. By intercepting signals, they were able to gain unauthorized access and steal the cars.
The convictions were secured through a combination of intelligence gathering, forensic analysis, number plate recognition, call data examination, and CCTV footage. Detective Constable Matt Earl, the investigating officer, highlighted the sheer scale of the criminal operation and its profound financial repercussions.
Earl remarked, “This was a large-scale investigation that was made possible by the hard work and dedication of the Serious and Organised Crime Unit, as well as the support and collaboration of other neighboring police forces. The level of criminality that these four people undertook was significant and had a huge financial impact. These men acted out of pure greed and had no regard for how their crimes may affect the lives of their victims.”
He further emphasized the importance of the successful prosecution, stating, “We are glad that these criminals have been successfully brought to justice and will now have lots of time to think about their actions whilst sitting in prison.”
The sentencing sends a strong message regarding the consequences of engaging in such criminal activities and underscores the commitment of law enforcement agencies to combat organized crime.