Gangs stealing LED lights from Range Rovers to grow cannabis
Criminal gangs are stealing LED lights from luxury vehicles to use in cannabis factories, it has emerged.
Police are investigating a spate of thefts of headlights from Land Rover and Range Rover models, which are then sold to drug dealers who use them to help grow illegal plants.
The problem has become so bad in some parts of the country that police have launched an operation to advise car owners how best to protect their vehicles from thieves.
A special task force of officers in West Yorkshire has already made 14 arrests and a large number of stolen car parts have been recovered.
It is thought Land Rover and Range Rover vehicles are specifically being targeted because experienced thieves can remove light assemblies in as little as 60 seconds.
But as well as using the LED lights to help grow drugs, police have warned of a roaring trade in other luxury car parts such as doors, bonnets, mirrors, wheels and grills.
It is thought motorists use the car parts to improve the look and specification of their own older models or repair their own cars following accidents.
Last month West Yorkshire Police launched Operation Emporia to combat what detectives have identified as an emerging problem across towns and cities such as Bradford, Halifax and Huddersfield.
Officers have been stopping drivers of Land Rovers and Range Rovers to ensure that they have the appropriate headlights for their vehicle.
Chief Inspector Steve Thomas said: “Working closely with manufacturers, we have been stopping certain vehicle fitted with LED headlamps to ensure they are legitimate.”
He said anyone who had recently had second hand LED lights fitted to contact police with proof of purchase.
Mr Thomas went on: “If we stop a vehicle and it is suspected that it is fitted with stolen parts then these will be removed and the owner of the vehicle could face prosecution.”
Motorists, whose cars have been targeted, claim thieves were able to strip certain parts in a matter of seconds.
While most of the items are sold on to other drivers, it is also thought that powerful LED headlamp units are used to help in the production of marijuana, where they help the plants grow more quickly.
Michael Roper, 53, who runs a pub in Oxenhope, West Yorkshire had the lights and front grille stolen from his Range Rover Sport last month.
He said the thieves had used a crowbar to remove the lights and grill, causing £8,000 in damage.
He said: “It is rife. But it is such an easy crime – it is so fast. They put a crowbar in between the front wing and the headlights.
“They wrecked the wing. There was no noise. They know how to disable the alarm on the cars.”
Mr Roper said he knew of at least 40 other Range Rovers that had been targeted in similar thefts.
Of the 14 people arrested as part of the West Yorkshire operation, one has been charged with theft and 13 others have been released on bail.
Range Rover is not the only car company to be specifically targeted by thieves stealing parts to order. Other manufacturers include:
Volkswagen - In the 1980s the American hip-hop band Beastie Boys sparked a craze, which saw teenagers stealing badges from Volkswagen cars to wear around their necks.
Mercedes – The German car maker was forced to introduce a removable emblem option on some of its vehicles after owners complained they were regularly being stolen.
Rolls Royce – The famous Spirit of Ecstasy emblem was modified to retract under the bonnet to deter thieves.
Audi – There were a spate of thefts of seats from Audi RS4 models earlier this year after it emerged that the German company had stopped making replacements.
A spokesman for Land Rover said: "We are aware of the reported thefts of headlamps on older models of Range Rover Sport. All Range Rover models have and continue to meet the insurance industry requirements as tested and agreed with relevant insurance bodies."
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