By Shawn Henry 
A long-running car-cloning operation stretching across London and Surrey has been shut down after investigators uncovered a scheme involving more than £1 million in stolen vehicles. Surrey Police began looking into the case in November 2023 when a woman learned the car she purchased from a dealership had been stolen and fraudulently resold.
Financial records quickly steered officers toward Abdirahman Ismail, 34, and Ali Abbas, 31, who had received payments linked to the vehicle. Detectives then identified a broader pattern of thefts dating from February 2022 through April 2024. During that period, the group handled and cloned more than 50 cars, primarily Toyota, Lexus, Hyundai, and Kia models.
Police said the operation relied on altering number plates and manipulating Vehicle Identification Numbers to disguise the origins of the stolen cars. The vehicles were then pushed back into the market through dealerships, aided by forged driving licences and other fraudulent paperwork. Phones, laptops, and documents seized when Ismail and Abbas were arrested in May 2024 revealed additional criminal activity, including cannabis sales.
Two more suspects—Hussain Kapadia, 34, and Rizwan Javid, 41—were arrested in September 2024 after being linked to the network. Officers found a stolen BMW on Kapadia’s driveway during his arrest.
Court proceedings wrapped up between January and September 2025. Abbas received a six-year prison sentence at Chichester Crown Court. Ismail was given a 16-month sentence, suspended for two years. Javid was sentenced to two years and eight months, while Kapadia received two years and three months, both handed down at Guildford Crown Court. A fifth defendant was acquitted after a jury trial.
Police said the scheme affected dozens of vehicle owners and caused substantial financial losses for insurers and dealerships caught up in the fraudulent sales.
Source
Eve