Police in north Manchester have arrested four individuals suspected of heading an international car theft operation that targeted high-end vehicles and shipped them to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The arrests were made Wednesday following raids on a storage unit and three residential addresses.
Two men in their 30s, a man in his 40s, and a woman in her 30s were taken into custody on suspicion of conspiracy to steal motor vehicles and conspiracy to handle stolen vehicles. Authorities recovered 19 stolen vehicles, valued at approximately £600,000, which the gang allegedly facilitated for international shipping.
Investigators believe the group used sophisticated electronic devices to bypass vehicle security systems and gain entry to garages. According to Detective Chief Superintendent Lewis Hughes, the arrested individuals were from the Congo, including the DRC.
"It is a lucrative market," Hughes stated. "These aren't cheap vehicles; these are prestigious vehicles, high-value vehicles. Obviously worth a lot on the criminal market, and organised networks are exploiting weaknesses in various systems, taking them off people's driveways, shipping them abroad, clearly to other criminals elsewhere in the world."
Britain's car theft industry is estimated to be worth £1.77 billion annually, with stolen vehicles frequently destined for countries like the DRC, the UAE, Lithuania, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. A 2025 report by the Royal United Services Institute suggests these destinations are attractive partly because local law enforcement may show less willingness to pursue such crimes, which often impact wealthy Westerners. Corruption can also facilitate the free movement of stolen vehicles within destination countries.
The DRC has a particular demand for stolen car parts due to regional shortages. Gangs are reportedly targeting specific car models and locations, creating "shopping lists" that indicate many thefts are conducted to order. They exploit vulnerabilities in modern car security, such as key fob signal relaying, to trick vehicles into believing a legitimate key is present.
Once stolen, vehicles are often quickly moved to ports for shipping, though some are temporarily stored while criminals check for tracking devices. INTERPOL reported over 270,000 stolen vehicles globally in its database in 2024, with recovery rates for vehicles exported overseas remaining low.
Storage facilities like the one raided are commonly used to dismantle vehicles for parts or remove identifying marks before shipping. The four suspects remain in custody for further questioning.