Luxury car smuggling gangs busted by police

Four gangs used the latest technology to steal 46 high-end cars in a bid to smuggle them outside the country, said Dubai Police.

Seventeen luxury vehicles were impounded at a sea port where the gang was planning to smuggle them out of the country. Courtesy Dubai Police

Four gangs who entered the UAE in a bid to steal a fleet of luxury cars worth Dh11 million and smuggle them out of the country were foiled after a multi-emirate police operation was put into gear.

The car thieves, of various nationalities, came into the country on visit visas and aimed to reprogramme the vehicle's computer systems before smuggling them abroad.

The spate of luxury thefts occurred all over the UAE - prompting police from across the emirates to join forces to snare the offenders.

The thieves were stopped in their tracks trying to transport the cars out of the UAE at a sea port.

“Thefts of luxury cars have been noticed in the different emirates of the country. Police forces were formed to track the gangs behind the theft of luxury vehicles,”said Lt Col Adel Al Joker, director of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at Dubai Police.

“The gangs, from various nationalities, entered the country on visit visas with the aim of stealing luxury cars using high technology to reprogramme the vehicles’ system and smuggle them abroad,” said Lt Col Al Joker.

A joint task force comprising police officers from Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman police was set up and managed to arrest the members of the four gangs.

“A total of 17 luxury vehicles were impounded at a sea port where the gang was planning to smuggle them out of the country. Thirteen others were found in a warehouse in Al Aweer area,” said Lt Col Al Joker.

Police have not identified the sea port at which the vehicles were seized.

Twelve other vehicles were seized in various emirates, in addition to the four cars used by the gangsters to travel across the country and implement their criminal plans, according to Dubai Police.

Major General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, commended the professionalism of police teams which led to the arrest of members of the four gangs.