The National Criminal Intelligence Service is warning the public about Lithuanian organised crime groups involved in the theft of vehicles.
The Organised Vehicle Crime Section of NCIS advises that Lithuanian gangs are responding to private ads in the specialist press and purchasing cars using high quality forged bankers’ drafts. By the time the forgery is identified – usually two to three days later during the clearing phase, the car has been released. The car is either taken back to Lithuania, or immediately sold to second hand dealers in the UK, often accompanied by forged documentation. Typically, gang members will not identify themselves as Lithuanian, but pose as Scandinavian or Western European nationals. They tend to buy medium range value cars in the 10 to 15k bracket. The scam came to light at the end of last year. Areas affected include London, Suffolk, Nottinghamshire, Wiltshire, Kent, Hampshire, and Surrey. NCIS advises vehicle sellers to wait four to five days until the draft has been fully cleared before releasing vehicles. Suspicions should be reported to local police forces.
