High value cars targeted by criminal gang

By Barrie Hudson - 24 November 2020

Crime

Wiltshire Police are alerting owners of high value cars to be extra-vigilant following an incident in Swindon.

  • One of the devices caught fire

    One of the devices caught fire

The force believes an organised criminal gang is attaching what appear to be badly-constructed electronic devices to vehicles in an attempt to block the signal from their in-built tracking systems.  

In one instance, of which the police have released images, the device caught fire. 

PC Keith Macdonald said:  "We are urging vehicle owners, especially those of high value, to be aware of this type of criminal activity.

"In this latest incident involving a Range Rover, it had travelled into Oxfordshire and back to Swindon so we cannot say for sure when or where the device was placed on the vehicle. 

"The owner first thought something was wrong when his factory-fitted tracking device and app started to malfunction.  

"Based on these findings we would advise high value car owners to contact their dealer if they notice similar faults with their tracking apps and please don't ignore them."

People who suspect their vehicle has been tampered with or find a device are asked to call on 101, quoting crime reference number 54200115410, or report via wiltshire.police.uk

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