Several suspected stolen vehicles and car parts have been recovered following the execution of several multi-unit warrants at a Rotherham industrial park
On Thursday (12 March) officers from our Neighbourhood Teams and roads policing group teamed up with partner agencies for a targeted operation around vehicle crime.
Several intelligence-led multi-premises warrants were executed at Kiveton Park Industrial Estate in the south of the borough.
They uncovered five stolen vehicles, which includes a motorhome and two HGV tractor units. Within one of the units a lorry on cloned plates was discovered with the body of a stolen vehicle that had been stripped for parts.
Several units had been converted into suspected ‘chop shops’. A ‘chop shop’ is the name used to describe an area where stolen cars are taken apart so their parts can be sold separately.
Inside the ‘chop shop’ several vehicle parts, suspected to be stolen, were recovered. A number of specialists in vehicle crime supported the day of action helping to identify stolen items. This was facilitated by the National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership and colleagues at Operation Opal.
Inspector Darren Birley, of the Rotherham South NPT, said: “We know, from the vital intelligence you provide us with, that this estate has been a hotspot for criminality.
“We are always working proactively to dismantle organised criminality and this operation provided us with a fantastic opportunity to do so. We have recovered stolen vehicle parts from all over the country hidden inside the units, as well as pallets of suspected stolen stock from online retailers.
โWe know the impact car theft can have on people which is why it is vital that we work with other police forces to trace stolen vehicles and dismantle these โchop shopsโ.โ
