Man arrested after police find 'substantial number of stolen cars at suspected chop shop'
A man has been arrested after police found more than a quarter of a million pounds worth of stolen cars at a suspected chop shop in Stafford.
Staffordshire Police discovered a "substantial" number of stolen vehicles in the Haughton area on Tuesday.
The force said it believes five of the cars were stolen from the West Midlands area and one of them from Staffordshire.
Officers think the thefts took place across the last five weeks and assured work is being carried out to update the victims.
Amongst the cars discovered by police at the site of the suspected chop shop were a number of dismantled Land Rovers, a Range Rover, Jaguar and a Ford Transit van.
A 36-year-old man, from Telford, has since been arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods.
He was interviewed in custody and has now been released on conditional police bail whilst investigations continue.
Det Ch Insp Adam Yates said: "This is a substantial find which has been achieved through proactive policing and hard work to gather intelligence and investigate the groups responsible for vehicle theft across Staffordshire.
"We know that there’s plenty more to do in this area. We are going after vehicle thieves, proactively patrolling our roads and putting measures in place to protect people’s hard-earned belongings.
"As part of Operation Bormus, dedicated vehicle theft teams across the force are pursuing these criminals as a priority. This type of crime can have devastating effects on people, businesses and livelihoods.
"We are committed to putting a stop to those responsible and continuing to make progress in our fight against vehicle thieves."
For tips on how to prevent car and vehicle theft, visit the Staffordshire Police website.
