Essex Police detectives have dismantled a car theft conspiracy involving organised criminals who stole vehicles worth over £1.3 million.
The Serious Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) initiated an investigation in April 2024 after linking over 70 keyless car thefts across Essex, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, and London.
Connor Jones, 26, and Jack Reid, 22, were identified as the primary suspects. They used ‘relay’ devices to capture and replicate car key signals, enabling them to steal vehicles parked on driveways. The stolen vehicles were then taken to a lockup in Waltham Abbey to be stripped for parts.
The investigation began after a local policing officer linked a series of thefts to a burglary in Hertford in April 2024. Reid and Jones used a stolen Cupra Formentor as a getaway vehicle for 38 subsequent thefts.
After the Cupra was recovered, they replaced it with a stolen Volkswagen Golf. On October 7, 2024, the Golf was used in four separate thefts across Brentwood and Epping.
Officers traced the Golf back to the Waltham Abbey lockup, where they arrested Reid and Jones. A search of the premises revealed stolen vehicles, number plates, vehicle keys, balaclavas, and transmitters.
The victims of these thefts experienced significant distress, with one victim reporting heightened anxiety and fear for her family’s safety.
The SOCU teams, intelligence officers, and vehicle examiners contributed to the successful investigation and recovery of numerous stolen vehicles.
Source: Essex Police
Kay Fellows
How is this industry ever to change the publics perception when individuals operate in this manner. This industry sould be regulated and have some standards in which all should be responsible for.