Recovered stolen high-value cars worth £6.5 million on display in Hampshire

  • ITV Meridian's Kara Digby has been to see the display


A total of 30 cars, that were stolen from the UK by an organised criminal network and exported to Thailand, have been on display in Hampshire.

At the time of the theft, the high-value vehicles had a total value of £6.5 million.

Their recovery is the culmination of an 8-year operation into the disappearance of 35 cars over a 12-month period, 30 of which were recovered by Thai authorities.

They are now being returned to their owners, including businesses and finance companies.

  • Mohammed Umari, owner of one of the cars stolen


Mohammed Umari has reunited with his Lamborghini after seven years, he had rented it out as part of his car hire business, but it was never returned.

He said: "It was devastating when the car had gone, it was really, really bad.

"We thought what are we supposed to do, we'd just started our business.

"I'm very relieved, I'm speechless, I don't know what to say I just can't believe it's back."

Using false details, the cars had been obtained on finance from car dealerships in England between 2016 and 2017.An investigation by the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service was first triggered by the discovery of four stolen Mercedes in a shipping container in Southampton.

  • The Head of the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service


The Head of the NaVCIS, Sharon Naughton, said: "That led us to look at the shipper's details and then we identified very soon after that a number of vehicles that had been acquired via finance fraud in the UK had been transported via air freight to Bangkok, which we then discovered was intended for the Thai market and would be sold in legitimate dealerships.

"But, sold to unsuspecting members of the public in Thailand and obviously a big profit for the offenders involved."

After eight years, and working with authorities in Thailand, all but five of the cars were eventually found and brought back to the UK.

  • The Office of the Attorney General (Thailand)


Intranee Sumawong, the Office of the Attorney General (Thailand) said: "The most important thing was the best cooperation from the UK side which provided us with all the help with documents, with evidence.

"And also working so closely just to help the victims, the innocent people that lost their assets in the UK."

Search warrants carried out in London in 2017 led to several arrests.

Four of those are now going through the judicial process.

A man suspected of orchestrating the criminal enterprise is currently in a Thai prison awaiting trial.


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