Fightback against car thieves results in more than £570,000 worth of vehicles recovered in 16 days

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster revealed the success surrounded by stolen cars including a £140,000 Porsche supercar which was taken after a home invasion.

The PCC invested a "five-figure" sum to allow West Midlands Police to dedicate resources to combat car thieves after the crime rose by 35 per cent, from 11,990 incidents in 2021 to 16,232 in 2023.

Mr Foster told the Express & Star: "This is project is all about fighting back against a crime which is linked to international organised crime and has seen too many Black Country residents become victims of crime.

"One stolen car is one too many. Through my role I hold West Midlands Police to account and have been really pleased at the results concerning knife crime. The latest crime statistics showed car crime had gone down after several years of increases."

Operation Vantor led to 27 stolen vehicles recovered across a 16-day period in January boasting a combined market value of £527,250. The Porsche GTE supercar in the Witton yard Mr Foster held his briefing had been stolen in Cheshire during a home invasion and had been brought to the West Midlands destined for a Cypriot crime syndicate before being recovered by local police officers. 

The latest haul, thanks to additional PCC funding, takes the total number of stolen vehicles seized to over 200 since Op Vantor first commenced in May 2024. The combined value of stolen cars that have been recovered, is now estimated to be around £1.8 million.

Mr Foster added: “The rise in vehicle theft across the West Midlands is deeply concerning, and I’m committed to taking decisive action to protect our communities. This investment provides West Midlands Police with the resources they need to disrupt these criminal networks, recover stolen vehicles, and bring offenders to justice.

“The recent seizures are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our officers, and I'm confident that this increased focus will make a real difference in tackling this issue.”

He added: "I want to stress to residents of the West Midlands everything is being done to combat car crime. Cars have been returned to owners or if they have already claimed on the insurance they are given to insurance companies which helps them recover the costs incurred by vehicle crime."

Cars have been recovered through intelligence gathering, and the use of advanced technology to track and locate stolen vehicles. Many cars are stolen after home invasions by thieves who take the keys to the vehicles which are now harder to steal from the street. A Walsall gang were jailed for a crime spree which saw more than 30 homes broken into for the keys of cars. 

Head of West Midlands Police’s Roads Policing Unit, Superintendent Gareth Mason has spearheaded Operation Vantor.

He said: “We are seeing positive results from this increased investment and are determined to continue our efforts to drive down vehicle crime. The recovery of these high-value vehicles demonstrates our commitment to pursuing offenders and disrupting their illicit activities. We encourage residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to us.”

Members of the public are urged to take preventative measures to protect their vehicles, such as using steering wheel locks, ensuring keys are stored securely, and parking in well-lit areas. 

Anyone with information about vehicle theft or related criminal activity is encouraged to contact West Midlands Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.