Officers traced and seized multiple stolen vehicles following a raid by our Roads Proactive Policing Team at a farm in Doncaster.
Two individuals were arrested after the raid on a suspected ‘chop shop’ in the Braithwell area of the city on the afternoon of Wednesday, 19 June.
A ‘chop shop’ is where stolen vehicles are dismantled so their parts can be sold or used to repair other stolen vehicles.
Upon arrival, officers discovered an HGV with a shipping container suspected to be arranged to transport the vehicles on their onward journey. They also found several stolen vehicles, including a group of Mercedes vehicles stolen from Europe.
It is believed that the stolen vans and their contents were taken from various locations across the country and were being stripped of their body panels and engines before the officers’ discovery.
Detective Constable Larissa Porter, from Doncaster’s Operation Fortify team, which tackles serious violent crime and organized criminality, stated:
“This was a significant find by our Roads Proactive Policing Team and disrupted what appears to be a significant criminal operation, with multiple stolen vehicles being stripped for their parts.
“The stolen Mercedes vehicles we discovered at the farm were set to be moved again to conceal their identity, and we are pleased that we have managed to stop this from happening. We hope we can now reunite these stolen vehicles with their owners.
“We know the impact car theft has on innocent people, and we won’t tolerate vehicles being stolen and stripped for their parts in these chop shops, which are often linked to wider organized criminality.”
The two individuals arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods, possession of criminal property, and money laundering have been released on police bail pending further inquiries.
