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Police are sounding the alarm on a growing issue of vehicle and parts thefts in the UK, with stolen items frequently being smuggled overseas within a day of being taken. Sgt Ross Haybourne of Kent Police’s Rural Task Force explains that criminals often steal vehicles or parts on demand across southern England, with a significant quantity ending up in European and African countries. He indicates that some stolen parts may even circulate back into the UK under false pretenses after being shipped abroad. In response, the Home Office is preparing to introduce legislation that will prohibit the possession and distribution of electronic devices used to steal keyless cars.
Sgt Haybourne’s team routinely conducts checks at the Port of Dover, intercepting stolen cars, agricultural machinery, quad bikes, and other valuable vehicles. He states, “We’ve had reports with trackers etc, where vehicles are going hundreds or thousands of miles away from the UK, often within 24 hours of a theft.” The police have apprehended vehicles en route to destinations such as Cyprus, France, and North Africa. In many cases, entire cars are illicitly exported, alongside dismantled parts like engines and mirrors sourced from so-called chop shops. The National Construction and Agricultural Theft Unit (NCATT) highlights that some of the stolen heavy machinery is repurposed for criminal activities like ATM theft, while others are trafficked to regions including Eastern Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
The scale of vehicle crime remains substantial, with over 121,000 thefts reported across England and Wales in 2024/25. One victim, Lee from West Sussex, shared the impact of losing his van to thieves. “I just felt sick. I had so much stuff in there. All my tools are in there – it had all been taken away from me. It didn’t seem real.” With £10,000 worth of equipment stolen and subsequent business losses estimated at £30,000, the theft devastated his livelihood. Police investigations revealed a gang responsible for stealing over 100 vehicles in southern counties, primarily targeting keyless ignition cars. Detective Constable Paul Beasley from Hampshire Police described how these stolen vehicles were transported to a Surrey-based chop shop operated by another organized crime group. He explained, “This other group would then strip them down into those vehicles’ various parts, put them on to the back of a lorry and ship them over to Europe, where they were being sold on in the second-hand market.”
Authorities have also uncovered that criminals acquire high-tech devices online to facilitate keyless vehicle thefts; these gadgets can cost more than £20,000. New proposals within the Crime and Policing Bill aim to criminalize possession and sharing of such equipment, a change from current laws that only allow prosecution if the devices were used in a specific crime. Richard Billyeald of Thatcham Research emphasizes the issue, stating, “You’re really only using these if you’re stealing cars, there’s no legitimate use in any other way at all.” The Home Office reiterates its commitment to strengthening law enforcement’s ability to tackle vehicle-related crimes, aiming to reduce harm to individuals and businesses affected by theft. Meanwhile, the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS) reports that their officers seized 450 stolen vehicles and 118 stolen parts valued at over £13.8 million at UK ports in the last year
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