Man jailed for £4m car scam (From Echo)

Man jailed for £4m car scam

4:51pm Wednesday 8th August 2007 in

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A CANVEY man has been convicted for his part in a £4million prestige car theft racket.

Martin Clark, 46, of Antlers, was one of 12 men involved in the theft plot in which at least 200 luxury cars - mostly BMW and Mercedes Benz models - were stolen and shipped to Africa.

They were shipped out of the UK after being taken in burglaries, robberies, car jackings and thefts.

They were mainly shipped to Mombasa, in Kenya.

After a two-part trial finished at Luton Crown Court, Clark was convicted of conspiracy to handle stolen goods alongside 11 other men from Essex, London, Kent and Bedfordshire.

The court was told the huge investigation involved detectives from Essex, Hertfordshire and Kent.

Police said the conspiracy ran from May 2005 until April 2006, when some of the gang were caught as they loaded stolen Mercedes cars into a sea container at a yard in London's East End.

Police dicovered a further haul of 92 vehicles at Felixstowe Docks, Suffolk, in the process of shipment.

During the trial it was estimated that over the year the gang was responsible for sending more than 200 stolen cars overseas.

Det Chief Insp Jon Chapman of Herts Police, said: "The investigation has significantly disrupted what is clearly a sophisticated criminal network.

"In addition, under proceeds of crime legislation, the courts will have the powers to strip substantial financial assets acquired through the defendants' criminality."

All 12 are due to be sentenced on September 14 at Luton Crown Court.