Members of a gang that stole up to 100 luxury cars worth about £3m and sold them in the Middle East in a huge international "chop shop" ring have been jailed. The group, who called themselves 'The Company', used warehouses in Oldham, Bury and Wigan to strip the vehicles stolen from Greater Manchester and then transport them overseas via shipping containers. Seven men from Bolton, Chadderton, Oldham and Tameside were sentenced at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court for their role in the operation.
Detective Chief Inspector Roger Smethurst of Greater Manchester Police said the gang was the "most organised group of criminals we've come cross", with some cars stolen "in seconds in some cases". The convictions come after seven other men were sentenced in 2022 for their roles in the operation, including Asif Hussain of Bolton, the man identified by police as the ringleader of the gang. The group stole 97 vehicles between 2020 and 2021, including Ranger Rover, BMW, Porsche and Mercedes brands.
Asif Matadar, 40, of Bolton was jailed for three years six months for conspiracy to steal, while Zeeshan Ali, 34, of Tameside, was jailed for three years and nine months for conspiracy to handle stolen goods. Shewaz Rehman, 29, of Oldham, was sentenced to four years and nine months in jail for conspiracy to handle stolen goods, and Imran Taj, 43, also of Oldham, was jailed for four years on the same charge Adam Elwood, 30, of Chadderton, was jailed for six years for two counts of handling .