North: €5m export market for stolen cars

Thousands of cars stolen in Northern Ireland are being shipped overseas as part of a multi-million pound crime operation, it was claimed today.

With almost half of all vehicles which went missing last year still to be traced, it has been alleged many are being sold off as far away as continental Europe.

Policing Board members in Belfast were left stunned that so many cars appeared to have vanished.

Democratic Unionist representative Sammy Wilson claimed: “The organised crime involvement in this must be massive.”

The Police Service of Northern Ireland’s auto-crime unit disclosed that 8,317 vehicles were stolen during the 2002/2003 financial year.

Out of these 4,770 were recovered, although detectives believe that figure is higher. More than 3,500 cars have yet to be traced.

Officers have targeted hot-spots such as west Belfast, which has been plagued by the menace of joy-riders. One in four of all stolen vehicles was found in that part of the city.

But fears have now heightened that a secret and highly lucrative racket is operating across Northern Ireland.

Confidential figures compiled by the multi-agency Organised Crime Task Force confirm that just over 2,000 (25%) of cars stolen last year were exported to the Republic, Britain or mainland Europe.

Police chiefs estimate their value was between £3m (€4.2m) and £5m (€7.06m).

Acting Superintendent Peter Farrar accepted there was a major problem with smuggled vehicles.

He said: “I’m aware there are criminals in west Belfast looking to steal cars permanently by changing their appearance or number plates and shipping them out.

“If they are being shipped out of Belfast I believe the vast bulk are going to the Republic of Ireland or Britain, with a handful making it to Europe.”

Mr Wilson accused terrorist organisations of running the operations and demanded a major crackdown.

“Vehicles are being identified, stolen and then taken out of the country at will,” he said.

“If they are being stolen to order this is big money business, running into millions, and there must be paramilitary involvement.”