A MEMBER of a car smuggling gang which made millions of pounds from stealing top-of the-range vehicles has been ordered to pay back almost £800,000.

Martin Clark, 48, of Antlers, Canvey, was locked up for seven years in 2007 for his part in the shipping of at least 92 stolen vehicles from the UK to Africa.

A Proceeds of Crime hearing, at Luton Crown Court, has now told Clark to hand over £770,000 within the next six months or face being locked up for an extra four years.

The cash will be added to £900,000 already recovered from other members of the 12-strong organisation.

Half of the money will go to the Government, while the other half will be split between Hertfordshire Constabulary, the courts and the Crown Prosecution Service.

The court estimated a further £10million the gang made from the scam has gone missing and made an order this must be returned if information comes to light about its whereabouts.

Det Supt Jane Swinburne, from Hertfordshire Constab-ulary, who led the investigation with support from Essex and Kent, said: “The Proceeds of Crime Act is a powerful piece of legislation that enables the criminal justice system to ensure convicted offenders no longer benefit from their ill-gotten gains.”

The gang from London, Kent and Essex, targeted high value cars such as Porsches, Mercedes and BMWs in thefts, burglaries and car jackings all over the country.

They shipped the cars abroad from Felixstowe Docks, Suffolk, mainly to Mombassa in Kenya using false paperwork to make them appear legitimate.

Police recovered 92 cars worth £4million, but suspect at least 200 were sent abroad between May 2005 and April 2006.