Adirahman Ismail of Lancastrian Road in Wallington appeared at Chichester Crown Court on January 27 and was sentenced to 16 months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years.
The 34-year-old pleaded guilty to conspiracy to handle stolen goods, conspiracy to commit fraud, conspiracy to transfer criminal property, concerned in the supply of class B drugs and possession or control of identity documents with intent.
Ali Abbas of Rose Avenue in Mitcham was handed a lengthier sentence of six years in prison.
The 31-year-old also appeared in court on January 27 and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to handling stolen goods, conspiracy to commit fraud, conspiracy to transfer criminal property, concerned in the supply of class B and C drugs and possession or control of identity documents with intent.
The pair were part of a four-man group that targeted Toyota, Lexus, Hyundai and Kia models across London and Surrey between February 2022 and April 2024.
The gang altered VIN numbers and used fake documents to pass off stolen cars as legitimate, causing major losses to dealerships and insurers.
The investigation began in November 2023 after a customer reported buying a stolen car from a dealership.
Officers traced the vehicle back to its original owner and uncovered evidence linking Abbas and Ismail to the sale.
Further enquiries led to the arrests of two other men, Rizwan Javid, 41, of Chadwell Heath, and Hussain Kapadia, 34, of Ilford, who were jailed for a combined five years and 11 months.
Detective Constable Alex Boxall, of the Surrey Police Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said: “These four men orchestrated a highly organised scheme to clone stolen vehicles, disguising their crimes through the use of fraudulent documentation and selling the cars on to the motor trade.
“50 vehicle owners were directly affected and this criminal activity also had a significant impact on insurance companies and car dealerships, who suffered losses as a result of the group’s actions.”
