27 August 2023 , 17:13
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Supercars belonging to two international Premier League footballers were discovered in shipping containers set for the Middle East.
The Ferrari and Range Rover Sport were among a haul of vehicles and parts with a value of more than £16million recovered by Essex Police so far this year. The cars, set for a trip to Dubai, are said to belong to two unnamed players who have more than 100 international caps between them.
The vehicles were stolen in neighbouring counties but discovered in shipping containers due to be transported to Dubai from London Gateway Port in Thurrock, Essex Police’s stolen vehicle intelligence unit (SVIU) said. In total, 517 vehicles or parts were recovered and that the thieves could have been hoping to be paid two or three times more than the UK value, once they were sent abroad.
The Range Rover Sport was also discovered among the haul of stolen cars (PA)One of the footballers came to the team’s base to be reunited with his car and praised the SVIU’s work. PC Phil Pentelow said: “He was genuinely thankful and taken aback by the lengths we had gone to. His car was clearly very dear to him, and he was very impressed with the service he’d had from the police.
“Even though he plays for one of my team’s biggest rivals, he was a nice guy and down-to-earth. It was good to help him.”
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Thieves or handlers of the stolen vehicles may obtain false or cloned identities, then sell the vehicles on to unsuspecting members of the public in the UK or distribute them to other criminals. This summer Essex Police launched Operation Ignition, which brings together the SVIU, Roads Policing and investigators to dismantle the criminal gangs behind the thefts.
PC Paul Gerrish and PC Phil Pentelow of Essex Police's Stolen Vehicle Intelligence Unit (PA)The SVIU have returned vehicles to hundreds of victims and deal with everything from family saloons to supercars. PC Gerrish said one the best parts of the job is returning a vehicle to someone who didn’t expect to see it again.
He added: “Every stolen car is important to us and we work as hard as we can to get them back to their owners. When you phone someone up and tell them we’ve got their car with their kids’ car seats and the pushchair in the back, or other personal items, it’s hugely satisfying.
“We are creating a hostile environment for car thieves. We know what to look for and we know how and where they operate. Double lock it and check [cars]. We still see CCTV where people’s cars aren’t locked.”