During January 2009 Police Intelligence identified that a large number of Toyota Hiace Vans were being stolen with a very low recovery rate. Over a 12 month period in one district 267 vehicles were stolen and only 14% were recovered. The value of the vehicles stolen was around $1.3m.

An assessment of national and international trends identified the following possible causes for these thefts –

• That Organised Criminal Groups were stealing these cars and shipping overseas, or
• That the cars were being stripped and sold as spare parts or again shipped overseas as parts, or
• That the vehicles were being ‘rebirthed’

The team that was formed to investigate these thefts identified 8 car wreckers as properties of interest.  The police together with Customs and Immigration officers used mobile and static surveillance on the persons and properties of interest.

As a result of the information obtained from Surveillance, covert cameras were installed on two locations.  This quickly identified the scale of the crime.  One offender had 8 stolen Hiace’s driven to his location within a 4 week period.

The cars were stripped and the parts were sold to Parts recyclers operated by Middle Eastern offenders who were transporting these parts in shipping containers to the Middle East.  Search warrants were executed on seven Parts Recyclers. Four Shipping Containers destined to the Middle East were also seized.  Detectives pieced together cut up registration plates, Chassis and VIN tags at one property which identified 83 Hiace Vans.

Overall this investigation led to;

• 12 Offenders being arrested with over 400 criminal charges laid
• 127 vehicles identified as stolen with a value of $690,000.00
• Firearms, drugs and cash were also seized.

Three offenders have already been sentenced to terms of imprisonment whilst nine are still before the courts and the theft rate of Toyota Hiace’s has decreased by 54% as a result of this operation.

L - R:  Suncorp Insurance’s Executive Manager Mr Jason McCracken congratulates Investigation of the Year award winner Detective Sergeant Callum McNeill from Auckland City Police.