35 high-end cars stolen from UK found in Thailand years later
- 35 high-end cars were stolen from the UK – thought to be gone forever
- However, a discovery led to all of them being retrieved – in Thailand
- It was all part of a sophisticated criminal operation
Published on Nov 01, 2024 at 1:04 PM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Nov 01, 2024 at 1:21 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
These 35 high-end cars went missing from the UK only to resurface in Thailand eight years later.
As you’d imagine, this theft was a sophisticated operation.
It was a scheme concocted by criminals from both countries, who organized a fraud scheme to ‘buy’ the cars from different dealers in the UK.
As the years went by, it was thought the cars might never be seen again – but they’ve now been found.
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How were the stolen high-end cars found again?
An inspection of a shipping container at the port of Southampton was the snowball that started an avalanche.
Four stolen Mercedes were found inside the crate, which led the UK’s National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS) to finding the rest.
The cars had originally been purchased through fraudulent means before being shipped off to Bangkok.
Once in the Thai capital, the cars would be sold again through real dealerships.
Enlisting the help of Thailand’s police force, NaVCIS was able to locate all of the stolen vehicles.
As reported by The Guardian, the head of NaVCIS, Sharon Naughton said: “[The shipping container] was the pivot point that led us to working with the Thai authorities and national crime agencies to uncover a whole criminal enterprise.
“We identified a number of these vehicles had been transported to Bangkok via air freight.”
Why did these criminals go for cars from the UK to begin with?
According to Intranee Sumawong, a senior public prosecutor in Thailand, the fact that both countries have right-hand drive cars played a part in the decision.
It’s also seen as very desirable to own a high-value car in Thailand, so the criminals knew they’d make a ton of money.
This isn’t the first time in recent months that UK police have busted a criminal operation centered around supercars.
What types of cars were among the 35 that were taken?
The cars involved in the scheme included Nissan GT-Rs, BMW M4s, and Porsche Boxsters.
However, the crème de la crème of the lot has to be the Lamborghini Huracan Spyder.
The Spyder itself was stolen from somebody who ran a supercar rental business.
As you can imagine, losing a $200,000 supercar had a devastating impact on their business.
All in all, the 35 stolen cars were valued at $8.3 million overall, as reported by The Drive.
Miraculous recoveries happen more often than you think with stolen cars.
This man from Fresno was reunited with his 1967 Dodge Dart six months after it was snatched.
In an even greater stroke of luck, another Fresno got his stolen 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air back mere hours after its theft.
