Major police raid on Kiveton industrial estate uncovers 'stolen' motorhome and lorry cabs
Police carried out a major raid on a suspected so-called ‘chop shop’ near Sheffield.
South Yorkshire Police say several suspected stolen vehicles and car parts were recovered in an operation which they they described as ‘several multi-unit warrants’.
Police from the Rotherham South neighbourhood teams, and roads policing group joined forces with other organisations for a targeted operation around vehicle crime.
The raids, which were carried out at Kiveton Park Industrial Estate in the south of Rotherham, uncovered five stolen vehicles, including a motorhome and two HGV tractor units.
Within one of the units a lorry on cloned plates was discovered with the body of a stolen vehicle that had been stripped for parts, said officers, who said several units had been converted into suspected 'chop shops', a phrase used to describe an area where stolen cars are taken apart so their parts can be sold separately.
They added that inside the 'chop shop' several vehicle parts, suspected to be stolen, were recovered. A number of specialists in vehicle crime supported the day of action helping to identify stolen items.
Inspector Darren Birley, of the Rotherham South NPT, said: "We know, from the vital intelligence you provide us with, that this estate has been a hotspot for criminality.
"We are always working proactively to dismantle organised criminality and this operation provided us with a fantastic opportunity to do so.
“We have recovered stolen vehicle parts from all over the country hidden inside the units, as well as pallets of suspected stolen stock from online retailers.
“We know the impact car theft can have on people which is why it is vital that we work with other police forces to trace stolen vehicles and dismantle these ‘chop shops’.”