Operation VCS-ATIPTOE-2020 was an eighteen (18) month Vehicle Crime Squad (VCS) investigation into organised motor vehicle theft and motor vehicle rebirthing.

In January 2020, VCS investigators identified an organised crime syndicate operating in the outer northern suburbs of Melbourne. VCS investigators overcame difficult circumstances regarding the complexity, organisation, geographical offending patterns and length of time the crime syndicate had been operating undetected.

Initial stages of this investigation centred on a rural property in northern suburbs of Melbourne where covert surveillance methodologies were used to observe numerous stolen vehicles being taken to, dismantled, rebirthed and later sold for profit. Vehicles were either driven to the address or transported on the rear of a stolen tow truck.

Phase One Resolution

Phase one resolution of the operation resulted in fifteen (15) search warrants being executed across rural and metropolitan suburbs in the north and west of Victoria. Investigators recovered a total of eighty-three (83) stolen and rebirthed motor vehicles, trailers and motorcycles. Nine (9) offenders were arrested, with five (5) of these offenders remanded in custody. Two (2) of these offenders were arrested on three (3) separate occasions during this period after being remanded, released by the court and remanded again after being found committing further offences.

During Phase one of the operation investigators recovered four (4) unregistered and stolen firearms, a significant amount of ammunition as well as stolen Victoria Police and Australian Army equipment.

Phase Two Resolution

Utilising a variety of overt and covert policing methodologies, investigators were able to acquire direct observations and evidence of how the syndicate operated. Evidence accumulated in relation to organised motor vehicle theft, rebirthing and the theft of earth moving machinery for profit. Victoria Police Vehicle Examination Unit reported that the motor vehicle rebirthing techniques used were some of the most elaborate they had seen in twenty-five (25) years.

Phase two resolution of the investigation resulted in the execution of seventeen (17) search warrants. Ten (10) offenders were arrested with five (5) of these offenders remanded in custody. Also recovered were further stolen and rebirthed motor vehicles, trailers and machinery. Investigators also recovered car key making equipment, vehicle identification stamp equipment and cloned registration plates.

Phase Three Resolution

Phase three of the investigation commenced in September 2020 with the arrest of the main target of the investigation. He was arrested moving a stolen motorcycle in a Hertz rental truck in Kingsbury. In his possession was a note referencing his offending. He was charged with seventy-two (72) offences relating to various TOMV, Handle Stolen goods, theft, possess traffickable quantity firearms, possess proceeds crime, disqualified driving and motor vehicle rebirthing offences.

On the 29th of September 2020 an offender who was stealing motor vehicles for the main target was arrested in the Melbourne CBD. He was arrested attempting a carjacking on a victim riding his motorcycle. The offender was found with a bag containing more than one hundred (100) keys, personal bank/identity cards/cheque book. These items have been linked to stolen motor vehicles and burglaries at commercial and residential premises across Melbourne. The offender was charged with thirty-nine (39) offences and was remanded in custody.

The phase three resolution of the investigation concluded in June 2021 and resulted in the execution of a further fifteen (15) search warrants. Six (6) offenders were arrested with four (4) of these offenders remanded in custody.

During phase three, VCS investigators recovered a stolen caravan, three (3) stolen motorcycles, stolen CCTV cameras, rebirthed Holden Astra, methylamphetamines, cash, weapons, computer equipment and personal items belonging to the victims of the burglary and theft incidents.

Results and Conclusion

Throughout the eighteen-month investigation, Forty-Seven (47) search warrants were executed resulting in the seizure of fifty-four (54) motor vehicles, twenty-seven (27) trailers, twenty-one (21) motorcycles, nineteen (19) engines, a stolen tow truck, a stolen boat, a stolen caravan, three (3) stolen earth moving machines, four (4) firearms, hundreds of stolen power tools, stolen auto parts and quantities of drugs of dependence. In total throughout this investigation VCS investigators have seized in excess of eight hundred (800) items of property, valued at more than 2.5 million dollars.

A total of twenty-five (25) offenders have been charged with more than three hundred and seventy-five (375) offences during this investigation. Twelve (12) offenders have been remanded in custody and five (5) of these offenders will have their matters prosecuted in the County Court of Victoria, due to the seriousness and complexity of their offending. Two (2) offenders have already had their matters finalised in the Magistrates Court and both received a term of imprisonment.

One main offender has been given a sentencing indication of 7 years imprisonment for his involvement in stealing and rebirthing a large quantity of motor vehicles. The offender has elected to go to trial, scheduled for later in 2023.

Operation VCS-ATIPTOE-2020 dismantled a sophisticated motor vehicle theft and rebirthing syndicate linking offenders to profit motivated offences such as aggravated burglaries, theft, rebirthing activities and drug trafficking. Some of the motor vehicles and motorcycles recovered had been listed as stolen for nine years before the investigation having been commenced, thus indicating that the criminal syndicate had been operating with impunity for extended periods of time.

Intelligence captured during the investigation where one of the main targets refers to “They got everything, maybe ten years of work that’s been done, maybe more…we’ve lost everything, everything, every single car is gone”.

This remains the largest investigation ever undertaken by the Vehicle Crime Squad, highlighting the effective use of multiple investigative techniques and the efficient use of the teams very limited resources to reduce crime, improve community safety and achieve outstanding results.

Legislative reform to the Crimes Act 1958

This investigation identified that most of the charges regarding the rebirthing (handle stolen goods & summary fraud offences located in the Road Safety Act) did not reflect the complex nature, seriousness, and organised crime methodologies of their offending. The Vehicle Crime Squad has since proposed legislative reform for specific offences of facilitating organised car rebirthing activities and tamper with unique identifiers similar to the legislation that already exists in the NSW Crimes Act. The Vehicle Crime Squad proposal has progressed to the Department of Justice and Community Safety and has been now included in the 2023 Major Crime Bill.