Vehicle-theft ring keeps targeting workhorse vans

Car thieves continue to target hundreds of Toyota vans police believe are being dismantled and shipped to the Middle East.

The Herald revealed the success of the police in cracking an international car-theft ring, after more than 550 Toyota vans were stolen in an 18 month period.

But the June arrests were predicted to be just the tip of the iceberg, and since then more than 50 Hiace vans have been stolen each month in Auckland, with a low recovery rate.

Police are gearing up for another region-wide operation to target the car thieves, but remain tight-lipped on the problem.

The humble Toyota Hiace - more workhorse than thoroughbred - looks an unlikely target for car thieves. But the van has been the most stolen model in Japan for the past two years because the parts are valued for their durability in desert environments.

It is believed the vans are being stolen to order and sold to car wreckers for as little as $200 each.

The vans are dismantled, with engines, transmissions, doors, wheels and chassis packed into containers which are then shipped to the United Arab Emirates, Iran, and East Africa. The onsold stolen parts are sent to countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria.

One man has been charged with the theft of 80 vans since November 2007, and several Otahuhu car wreckers have been charged with receiving.