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Gang jailed for luxury car thefts Gang jailed for luxury car thefts
(40 minutes later)
An international gang of car thieves who made £4.5m selling top of the range vehicles have been jailed. An international gang that made £4.5m by selling luxury cars that were stolen in violent attacks has been sentenced.
Eight gang members in London stole more than 190 cars, including Porsches and Ferraris, some at gunpoint. Gang members in London stole more than 190 cars, including Porsches and Ferraris, some at gunpoint.
They were often stolen to order and sold with new parts and paperwork from cars written off in Europe.They were often stolen to order and sold with new parts and paperwork from cars written off in Europe.
The London part of the gang, who were sentenced at Southwark Crown Court, were helped by gang members in Belgium who sent the write-offs to the UK. Ten London gang members, some of whom were jailed at Southwark Crown Court, had help from associates in Belgium who sent the write-offs to the UK.
Seven members of the Belgium side of the gang have already been sentenced.Seven members of the Belgium side of the gang have already been sentenced.
'Distress and loss'
Speaking at Southwark on Friday, Judge John Price said: "It was a very substantial conspiracy, not all of the conspirators are in the dock.Speaking at Southwark on Friday, Judge John Price said: "It was a very substantial conspiracy, not all of the conspirators are in the dock.
"But they [the police] destroyed an enormous organisation that was causing distress and financial loss to innocent people.""But they [the police] destroyed an enormous organisation that was causing distress and financial loss to innocent people."
Although some of the cars were stolen in violent car-jackings, most of them were taken in burglaries. The masterminds were all given jail terms.
Omar Abbas, 36, of New Cross, south-east London, was the mechanic who changed the identity of the cars and was jailed for five years.
Anthony Holt, 41, a Tube driver, of Sidcup, Kent, was the most prolific author of false documents to the DVLA and was given a four-year prison term.
The third key member of the gang Robert Taylor, 36, of Peckham, south east London, was jailed for two and a half years after he was linked to the thefts and sale of the cars.