NORTH Worcestershire Police have recovered four stolen cars and uncovered a suspected chop shop in the process.
Officers swooped swiftly after two car key burglaries in Marlbrook, Bromsgrove, last Wednesday – that led them to the site on the border of Hagley and Halesowen on Friday.
The two cars stolen were recovered and a further two taken vehicles were recovered at the premises, along with hundreds of suspected stolen car parts and more than £5,000 in cash.
Three men, aged 36, 40 and 47, from the West Midlands area were arrested at the scene on suspicion of handling stolen goods. They have all been bailed while enquiries continue.
Det Sgt Kelle Westwood from North Worcestershire CID said: “This was a great result following good detective work from our team here in North Worcestershire acting quickly following the two car key burglaries in Marlbrook.
“Intelligence work led us to the site where we have recovered four stolen cars and hundreds of pieces of evidence of a wider operation involving the use of stolen car parts and cash at this site resulting in the three arrests which we are now investigating further.
“We are pleased to have shut down this suspected chop shop.”
What is an illegal ‘chop shop’?
Chop shops are a place where criminals sell stolen cars to be stripped for parts where they are often used to repair a car that has been written off by an insurance company and bought by the chop shop as salvage.
DS Westwood added: “The cars sold by chop shops are not only fuelling a market for car thieves, but they are also botched together by people often with no qualifications and therefore very dangerous to all road users.”
This targeted activity forms part of our ongoing #OpEnzyme operation where we are proactively seeking to make stolen cars too hot to handle in north Worcestershire.
DS Westwood said: “Op Enzyme is a cross-border, partnership campaign to combat a rise in car key burglaries and other vehicle related offences reported in and around Bromsgrove and Redditch.”
People can visit westmercia.police.uk for more advice on protecting cars and vans from criminals and keeping them safe.
