TWO Canley men were part of a crime gang that stole £1.1million of luxury cars.
Brothers Ross and Matthew Dunham, both of Charter Avenue, were arrested after police unearthed an Aladdin’s cave of 3,000 car engines and other parts ready to be shipped abroad.
Among the victims of the gang also made up of Birmingham men Shanwaz Khan, his brother Wajid Khan and cousin Seyed Khan was a driver who was dragged from behind the wheel of his £25,000 Ford Focus ST on a petrol station forecourt.
In total they were linked to 82 thefts including two Mercedes C-Class from a driveway on Grovefield Crescent, Balsall Common and a Seat Leon from outside a house in Coventry’s Standard Avenue which was spotted by its owner being driven around Coventry on false plates the next day.
Matthew Dunham was picked out as the driver during an ID procedure.
But the true extent of the gang’s actions were only found by chance when their leader Shanwaz Khan, 30, also came to the attention of police when his Audi RS4 was spotted in convoy with a stolen Mercedes driving through Birmingham in March 2012.
When police raided his home in Erdington in Birmingham, plus lock-ups he rented, they found an array of chopped up cars stolen from across the West Midlands.
Ross and Matthew Dunham were jailed for five years and 39 months respectively after admitting conspiracy to burgle.
Shanwaz Khan admitted conspiracy to commit burglary and handle stolen goods and at Birmingham Crown Court and was jailed for seven years,
Wajid Khan, from Brookvale Road in Erdington, and 32-year-old Seyed Khan from Marsh Lane in Birmingham, admitted conspiracy to handle stolen goods and were both sentenced to 30 months behind bars.
Detective Constable Mo Azir, said: “The scale of their criminal operation was vast and they showed a complete disregard to the trail of destruction and misery left behind to victims of these offences.
“The brazen attitude of Shanwaz Khan was typified by his personalised number plate; this was a clear jibe at the authorities and he believed his underground theft racket was going unnoticed.”
He added: “All five are subject of on-going Proceeds of Crime Act investigations and we’ll look to seize any assets obtained through criminal activities.”
Left – The Audi RS4’s number plate was spotted in convoy with a stolen Mercedes set alarm bells ringing for police who soon got on the tail of Shanwaz Khan. (s)
