As he pulled up in his silver C220 AMG Mercedes at Manchester Airport, a holidaymaker handed over his keys to a valet. It was the best way, he thought, to make sure it would be kept safe while he was away.
The vehicle was one of scores stolen by an Oldham-based firm who called themselves "The Company", and hit on a way of making millions from stealing high-end cars to order and sending them abroad. Others were stripped in one of seven chop shops across Greater Manchester and the parts sold. The police investigation began in June 2019 when an Audi A4 Saloon, which was hired from a dealership in Oldham, was due to be returned. The dealership received a call saying it couldn’t be returned on time as it was delayed in London. When the dealership decided to verify these facts, they saw that the car was not in London, but it was in an industrial unit in Stockfield Mill, Chadderton.
He said the gang took Land Rovers and Range Rovers because they were easy to tell if they were locked or not because the wing mirrors were out.