Arizona cops caught thieves who stole $2.5 million in luxury cars after they rented them out

Cops in Arizona caught thieves who stole $2.5 million worth of luxury cars after renting them out.

Three people were arrested as 29 vehicles were recovered from a Phoenix car theft ring.

The police have said that the cars were being rented out on Turo, netting the gang even more money.

The scheme was uncovered thanks to ‘Operation Escalading Switch’, which saw the Arizona Vehicle Theft Task Force execute several search warrants.

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The $2.5 million car theft ring that got busted by Arizona cops

In an ideal world, car owners wouldn’t have to worry about their vehicles being targeted by criminals.

But in the world we live in, cars are often prime targets for criminal schemes, as we’ve seen multiple times.

Plenty of people have fallen victim to their vehicle being stolen, like streamer Duke Dennis.

But just as many people have recovered their cars, as this Texas man did with the help of some must-have technology.

And police forces are constantly busting criminal rings dealing in stolen cars, which happened with these 35 high-end cars stolen from UK and taken to Thailand.

This time around, it was in Phoenix that cops uncovered a trio of thieves dealing in looted luxury cars.

The Arizona Vehicle Theft Task Force executed several search warrants on June 17, where they uncovered 29 stolen cars, worth nearly $2.5 million.

It turned out that the gang holding the cars had been renting them out on Turo, a popular car-sharing platform.

It was actually Turo that played a part in putting an end to the scheme.

“We’re grateful to AZDPS, the Arizona Vehicle Theft Task Force, and Turo’s dedicated Trust and Safety investigators for working together to remove these criminals from Phoenix metro streets,” a spokesperson said.

One of the gang members had insider access to the state DMV, which they exploited.

“Unfortunately, this host’s insider access to the Arizona Department of Motor Vehicles enabled them to disguise stolen vehicles as legitimate rentals,” said Turo’s spokesperson.

“We immediately collaborated with investigators to expose the full scheme. Moreover, criminal behavior is extremely rare on our platform, and we have zero tolerance for it.”

Also found in the searches was firearms and a stash of cash.

Ali Ahmad, 29, Delia Rocha, 32, and Mario Rodriguez, 33, all from Glendale were arrested.

Because they were deemed to be a flight risk, all of the thieves were detained.

Which cars were included in this criminal scheme?

Among the luxury cars recovered in the operation was a Chevrolet Corvette, a Rolls-Royce Ghost, an Aston Martin DBX, and a Mercedes-Benz G-Class.

So this gang weren’t aiming low with the cars they stole.

“This operation is a testament to the effectiveness of collaborative law enforcement and the dedication of our Vehicle Theft Task Force,” said Colonel Jeffrey Glover, Director of the AZDPS.

“We are committed to protecting Arizona’s communities, and this takedown sends a strong message to those engaged in organized crime.”

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