Luxury vehicle theft has always been a problem, but in the past few years the pricey rides have become particularly hot targets for theft rings. While some of the stolen rides get loaded into shipping containers and snuck out of the country, others are chopped up, the valuable parts sold on the black market to people willing to not ask many questions.
Houston police bust several chop shops at once.
That’s what happened to numerous luxury cars in Mississauga, Ontario before police stumbled on the operation and busted it. It started with commercial auto crime officers from Peel Regional Police tracking down a newer stolen Mercedes-Benz which was taken from a shopping area, reports Insauga.
How exactly they did that isn’t mentioned and probably for good reason. It could’ve been the factory GPS tracking, but we know criminals often disable those immediately. Other possibilities include an aftermarket tracker, even an Apple AirTag.
When police tracked it down, they started following it. That was a wise move, because whoever was rolling around in the luxury car led the cops right to a big chop shop operation being run out of an auto repair shop.
Despite how the movies portray them, many chop shops look like and even operate as legitimate businesses. Auto shops are the perfect cover since vehicles are coming and going from them all the time and one would expect to find car parts, including engines, on the premises.
After busting the operation wide open, police say they found numerous luxury vehicles in various states of disassembly. They were able to identify eight vehicles as stolen, saying their total value is $225,000.
This is a great reminder, even if you don’t own an expensive luxury car, to put a tracker on it. If thieves do take it, you can use that tracker to help police bust them or get your ride back.
Images via Peel Regional Police/Insauga
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