A raid in mid-Essex has resulted in 17 men being arrested on suspicion of car crime.
Some 60 police raided eight adjoining salvage yards at the Moorlands Industrial Estate in Tile Works Road, Rettendon, on Tuesday morning.
The men, who have been released on police bail, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to handle stolen cars and money laundering.
The raid, codenamed Operation Resolution, was headed by the Metropolitan Police's stolen vehicles unit, with assistance from Essex Police and other Government agencies.
It follows a lengthy intelligence-gathering operation by the unit into the theft of old-style Mercedes E-class cars, which has shown a marked increase in the past six months.
Det Ch Supt Nigel Mawer, head of the Metropolitan Police's economic and specialist crime unit, said: "This is a major ongoing operation to tackle an organised criminal network that steals vehicles to order, breaks them down to their component parts and exports them to Africa."
Published Thursday, February 10, 2005
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article