Police have busted an international criminal syndicate which has been stealing high-end vehicles by hacking into their internal computers before shipping them off to the Middle East.
On Friday morning, Victoria Police revealed detectives from the vehicle crime squad had charged a 27-year-old Doveton man for his alleged role in the international car theft syndicate, which saw more than 150 Victorian vehicles worth $20 million illegally shipped to the United Arab Emirates.
The force has been investigating the syndicate for the past year, alleging they began operating in Victoria before relocating to Queensland in October, sparking a joint probe with police in Queensland.
Police believe more than 150 Victorian and 60 Queensland high-end vehicles – mostly Toyotas – have been stolen, stored and sent overseas in shipping containers.
“It is believed many of these vehicles were stolen by accessing the vehicle’s on-board computers via the vehicle’s wiring,” Victoria Police said in a statement.
Four search warrants were executed on Thursday across three homes in Doveton and another in Seaford, resulting in the arrest of one man. He has been charged with conspiracy to commit theft of a motor vehicle, theft of a motor vehicle and handling stolen goods which relate to 46 alleged incidents between August and September last year.
Police allege he had been operating out of a commercial address in Cranbourne West, where the stolen vehicles would be stored before being shipped to the UAE from the Port of Melbourne.
“Investigators believe the companies moving the shipping containers were doing so without the knowledge of what was inside,” police said.
The man was released on bail to appear in court later this month, but police say the investigation remains ongoing, and they expect more charges will be laid.
“While Victoria Police has a high vehicle recovery rate – around 80 per cent of cars stolen in the past year have been located – car theft fuels organised criminal networks and threatens the safety of our communities, impacting families, businesses and neighbourhoods,” Detective Acting Inspector Amanda Cohen, from the vehicle crime squad, said.
“This was a brazen and highly sophisticated syndicate, solely motivated by greed-driven profit. Their criminal behaviour will not be tolerated. We will continue to work closely with a range of law enforcement agencies and regulatory bodies to combat this issue.”
Anyone with information on car thefts and organised criminal networks is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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