Braintree 'chop shop' shut down in Essex Police crackdown

Last Thursday, officers from Essex and Kent’s Serious Crime Directorate (SCD) led teams from across the force, including Operational Support Group, Dog Units and Community Policing Team, in conducting eight early morning warrants.

The warrants were conducted at locations in Harlow and Braintree as well as across East London in Romford, Ilford, Enfield and Havering.

The operation resulted in a number of arrests and recovered multiple stolen vehicle parts.

In Braintree, with support from the force's dedicated Stolen Vehicle Intelligence Unit (SVIU) officers, an identified “chop shop” operating in Braintree was also targeted.

Operation - Essex Police's work has resulted in the arrest of seven people (Image: Essex Police)

A "chop shop" is a place where stolen vehicles are dismantled so parts can be sold or used to repair other stolen vehicles.

The specialist officers found a multitude of stolen car parts from high-value vehicles.

As part of the coordinated strike across the county, six men and one woman, aged between 25 and 54, were arrested on conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with vehicle crime.

A further warrant in Warwickshire was also carried out resulting in further stolen vehicle parts being recovered.

Warrant -  The warrants were conducted in Harlow, Braintree as well as across East London (Image: Essex Police)

Det Insp Frazer Low, who led the police response, said: “We have arrested seven people in connection with our investigation into a suspected organised crime group operating in the county.

“Car theft is a force priority because we know of the devastating effect it can have on an owner, a business and our communities.

“We’ll continue to dismantle the organised criminal networks behind these thefts through enhanced intelligence, where we will identify the people, patterns of offending and the places involved - that way we can focus our effort where it will be most impactive.”