THE police last week recovered 13 stolen motor cars and arrested six people, in a major stroke of luck that led the Eastern Kingston police to Santa Cruz, St Elizabeth, where they smashed a sophisticated car-stealing ring.

According to the police, a team of policemen were gathering intelligence in Vineyard Town, Kingston when their attention was drawn to two men working on two Toyota Corolla motor cars on Deanery Road.

On investigation, it was discovered that they were erasing the chassis numbers from the cars, the police said. The two cars were subsequently seized and the two men taken into custody.

“Little did we know that we had stumbled upon a major car-stealing ring. This is just being at a place at the right time,” said Superintendent Assan Thompson.

“Sometimes even the best of us need a little luck to go with hard work,” he added.

The police superintendent said further investigations led the Eastern Kingston police to Santa Cruz in St Elizabeth, where the police seized two cars and arrested a man. His wife was also taken into custody, but was released without charge.

An employee of the Santa Cruz tax collectorate, who the police said was the inside man at the tax office, was later arrested. “Without him the scam would be dysfunctional, he was a very important cog in the wheel,” said Thompson.

Another suspect was later picked up at Nain in St Elizabeth, where the police recovered another stolen vehicle.

“At this point we thought perhaps things would be getting easier, but we were wrong. Because each time the investigation points us to a suspect, that suspect points us to another in the ring of thieves. It just kept getting bigger,” Thompson said.

Following the operations in St Elizabeth, the police raided a premises on Chelsea Avenue, Kingston 10, where they held on to another suspect and seized a stolen Mitsubishi Lancer motor car. “He had turned up to sell the car when the police picked him up,” said Thompson.

The police said that further probe into the stolen-car racket led to the arrest of a man they said was the mastermind. The man, who operates a business in Kingston, was held at his home on Molynes Road, Kingston, where two vehicles believed to be stolen were also found.

The operations of the car thieves, according to Thompson, were elaborate and extensive and engaged the services of a number of employees at several tax offices.

“What they would do is clone someone’s car documents and sell them to one of the persons involved in the racket so that person can steal a car with similar descriptions,” Thompson said.

He said once the titles were sold, vehicles fitting the type, colour and age group, as given on the document were then stolen, and matched so as to appear legitimate.

“Then. they change the chassis and engine numbers to match the information that is on the title,” said Thompson. “It is therefore not unusual to see other vehicles bearing the same registration plate,” Thompson added.

He said the arrests and recovery of the stolen car “may just be the tip of the iceberg” as more people may be involved.

Persons whose cars were stolen recently are being asked to contact Corporal Brown or Corporal Christie at 928-1919; 928-4200 or the Elleston Road Police Station.