Hundreds of people have been arrested and more than 300 stolen vehicles recovered during a nationwide police operation targeting organised vehicle crime.
Operation Alliances, a week-long crackdown involving 32 police forces across the UK, resulted in 286 arrests, police said.
Officers carried out more than 100 warrants, recovering 319 stolen vehicles worth an estimated £2.6 million.
Eight suspected illegal vehicle dismantling sites, commonly known as chop shops, were also dismantled.
Police said the operation disrupted 20 organised crime groups linked to offences including vehicle theft, drug trafficking, firearms and burglary.
More than 280 stop and searches were conducted, while officers recovered vehicle parts valued at more than £100,000, checked 1,090 vehicles at UK ports and brought more than 50 charges.
Chop shops uncovered
In Lancashire, officers made three arrests after discovering a suspected chop shop and cannabis farm in Blackburn.
Ten vehicles believed to have been stolen were recovered, along with 1,125 cannabis plants and around £15,000 in cash.
In a separate Lancashire investigation into keyless vehicle thefts, officers seized mobile phones, £4,000 in cash, a key programmer, diagnostic equipment, vehicle keys, blank number plates and a number plate printer.
Another man was charged with conspiracy to steal motor vehicles and money laundering.
Meanwhile, Metropolitan Police officers discovered a suspected chop shop at an industrial unit in Romford, east London.
Seven stolen vehicles were recovered, along with parts from other vehicles and signal jammers capable of interfering with vehicle tracking systems.
Stolen SUVs recovered
In Sussex, two men were charged with offences including conspiracy to steal motor vehicles, fraud and burglary following an investigation into the theft of 17 SUVs across Hastings and Rother between July and September.
Fourteen of the vehicles were recovered and returned to their owners.
Cambridgeshire officers arrested a man suspected of handling high-value cloned vehicles as he attempted to leave the UK.
A Porsche Macan, Ford Kuga and Audi Q3, worth a combined £70,000, were recovered.
In South Wales, police seized a vehicle containing high-value musical instruments, golf clubs and power tools believed to have been stolen. Officers also recovered a relay device and counterfeit banknotes.
National operation
Operation Alliances was funded by the Home Office and coordinated through the National Police Chiefs’ Council.
Police forces worked together to target organised criminal networks involved in stealing vehicles, dismantling them and selling vehicles or their parts.
The operation highlights the scale of organised vehicle crime across the UK, with forces combining investigations, stop and searches, port checks and targeted warrants to disrupt criminal networks and recover stolen property.
