THREE people from Coventry were arrested as police closed down an illegal vehicle repair ‘chop shop’.
The boy and two men – held on suspicion of handling stolen goods and the theft of a motorcycle – were taken into custody.
The arrests were made following the discovery of a ‘chop shop’ in Arrow Road North, Redditch on June 18 where a large quantity of vehicle parts, believed to be stolen, were found.
The men, aged, 17, 18 and 26 have been bailed to return to Kidderminster Police Station in July.
A chop shop is a business which mimicks a car body repair shop but in reality illegally strips down stolen cars for parts.
Some are stolen to order for specific parts to repair an individual vehicle or serial numbers are removed from parts so they can be sold online to unwitting buyers.
Chop shops are dangerous and provide a thriving market for car thieves. Botched-together vehicles can be sold on legitimate websites to innocent buyers who purchase dangerous, unsafe cars.
Police say they are putting lives at risk, creating a demand for stolen cars, and damaging the reputation of legitimate vehicle repair body shops and salvage yards.
Residents are urged to look out for ‘chop shops’ – telltale signs include suspicious and noisy activity around industrial units – usually at odd times of day or night.
Vehicles look out of place in the workshops or other locations and do not come back out.
Shipping containers in unusual places, expensive items, such as engines and gearboxes, stored outside and out of place, such as gardens, and items for sale from the same sellers on online sites are other indications.
Anyone who thinks they come across a ‘chop shop’ should call police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
