Cop op targets organised vehicle crime - with 14 arrested

A POLICE raid on multiple caravan sites led to the arrest of 14 people and the recovery of 13 suspected stolen vehicles and items.

The operation on Wednesday (September 2) by South Yorkshire Police was part of a multi-agency initiative across the Doncaster area.

A warrant executed at a caravan site in Mexborough led to a huge haul of seizures, with three men and one woman arrested on suspicion of stealing motor vehicles.

A transit van, a Honda quad bike, a Toyota Hilux, a wood chipper and two large trailers were seized by officers along with two plant machines and a mini digger.

All the vehicles and items seized are suspected to be stolen, with enquiries ongoing to locate their owners.

Another warrant in Bentley recovered two stolen quad bikes and two stolen motorbikes.

A 17-year-old boy was arrested at the scene on suspicion of three counts of theft of a motor vehicle, with officers also recovering another vehicle that had been involved in recent fail to stops during wider patrols of the local area.

Two men were arrested by the Operation Castle team on suspicion of handling goods after receiving intelligence that they had been in a vehicle stolen during a burglary.

A number of people were arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving, recall to prison, robbery, shoplifting and failing to appear before court.

Officers from the Tasking Team and Roads Policing Group carried out a joint road check operation in which they recovered a stolen Ford Transit van on cloned plates.

Fifteen drivers were processed for speeding offences and one individual was given a traffic offence report for not wearing a seatbelt or having a valid MOT.

Since last year, teams in Doncaster have been targeting vehicle crime through Operation Spoke Alpha, which has seen the number of motorbike thefts in the city reduce by more than 50 per cent.

The number of reports of vehicle offences in Doncaster has also fallen by 18 per cent this year.

Det Insp Jim Smith said: “Organised vehicle crime doesn’t just affect the person whose car is stolen - it ripples right through our neighbourhoods and puts all members of the public at risk of harm.

“When a vehicle is stolen by those involved in organised crime, it’s often broken down in chop shops, used to commit further offences or traded within wider criminal networks.

“That activity brings more crime, violence and antisocial behaviour to our communities and that’s why we’re keen to keep targeting those involved in these networks.

“Work is continuing to gather more and more intelligence on those involved in organised vehicle crime so we can make arrests and disrupt their activities.”

Anyone witnessing vehicle crime and associated anti-social behaviour is urged to contact South Yorkshire Police on 101 number or 999 in an emergency.

People can report information anonymously via the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or their website.