By Steven Symes 
There’s been a real problem with car theft in the Detroit area for years, but one of the theft rings was just taken down. Thanks to work by U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Dearborn Police Department.
A dive team finds almost 100 cars submerged in the Chicago River.
Eight men in total were arrested and charged with conspiracy to transport stolen vehicles. They each face at least one or multiple counts of transportation of a stolen vehicle.
According to the US Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Michigan, those men are Haydar Al Haydari, 41, of Garden City; Karar Alnakash, 43, of Detroit; Abbas Al Othman, 42; of Dearborn Heights; Mohammed Al Hilo, 36, of Detroit; Moustapha Al Fetlawi, 46, of Dearborn Heights; Terrill Davis, 33, of Detroit; David Roshinsky Williams, 32, of Harper Woods; and Mohammed Al Abboodi, 35, of Detroit.
Investigators say from July 2023 to August 2025 the men were receiving stolen cars from thieves, using four commercial or industrial lots as receiving points. We’re sure that helped mask the volume of activity from the illegal operation.
From there, member of the theft ring would load at least two vehicles into a shipping container bound for overseas. We’ve often seen stories of stolen cars going to West Africa or the Middle East where they’re sold.
While it’s great to see this group busted, we by no means believe this means the problem is eliminated. Sadly, a lot of times other theft rings just step in and take over what anyone caught by authorities has been doing.
Maybe this will give a little relief in the Detroit metro area, but there need to be many more of these types of busts. After all, many criminals feel they can operate with impunity, especially after local police departments whittled away their numbers starting in 2020.
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