High value cars including a Porsche, Mercedes and Volvo were among 18 stolen vehicles valued at a total of more than £400,000 that were discovered by police at a chop shop near Stansted Airport.
Essex Police found the chop shop – a garage where stolen vehicles are dismantled or given false identities – after the Met Police shared details of a stolen car that was being tracked on December 9.
Officers discovered the car, a Mercedes GLC, in an enclosed yard in the Uttlesford area.
Further searches at an adjoining unit uncovered 17 more stolen vehicles and evidence linking them to recent thefts in Essex and further afield, including London, Hampshire, Surrey and Kent.
Two men from Romford, east London, were arrested on suspicion of theft of vehicles and handling stolen goods as part of the investigation.
The pair, aged 35 and 38, have been released on bail until March 1 while police continue their inquiries.
Detective Chief Inspector Rob Huddleston said: “This type of premises, known as a chop shop, has without doubt, links to wider organised crime groups who use similar premises to move stolen vehicle parts across the county and further afield for their own gain.
“We target these types of venues on a weekly basis in Essex.
“Theft of motor vehicles is a force priority, and we will continue to do all we can to tackle those involved in organised vehicle theft, to protect our communities from the devastating effect such a theft can have on their daily lives.”
