New South Wales Northern Beach police were last nigh announced as recipients of a prestigious award for “Australasian Vehicle Theft Investigation of the Year”.

The award issued by the Australasian Branch of the International Association of Auto Theft Investigators (IAATI) was announced at the Association’s annual conference in Melbourne last night.  In announcing the winner Australasian IAATI President, Mr. John O’Byrne, praised the efforts of the officers involved in Strike Force RIFT for their team work and diligence throughout the investigation.  “This was an exceptionally difficult investigation requiring a great deal of team work and co-operation, not only amongst the 10 officers from the Northern Beaches area but also with staff from Customs, Federal Department of Road Safety, RTA, Insurance companies and BMW Australia.”

Strike Force RIFT commenced in January 2000 and uncovered a complex tangle of offenders using false identities to ‘re-birth’ stolen vehicles.  In addition to arresting the principals of the illegal operation the team of investigators achieved the following:

• Nine alleged offenders arrested, charged and linked to organised crime involving stolen vehicles;
• 35 stolen vehicles recovered worth an estimated $1.8 million dollars (including BMW 518I , BMW Roadstar, Mercedes ML320, Ford XR6, Alfa Romero Spider Coupe, Series 8 BMW, Holden VS Commodores, Subaru Impreza WRX, etc.);
• Identified and reported to relevant authorities an importation scam involving luxury vehicles from Japan.