An alleged international crime ring has allegedly stolen dozens of Toyota cars from Brisbane and shipped them for sale in the United Arab Emirates.
Police investigating a rise in Toyota thefts in Brisbane late last year uncovered an alleged organised operation stealing specific models, including Land Cruisers and Prados.
They allege that a group of seven men from Japan, Brazil, Fiji and Afghanistan flew to the city in October and stole 60 cars across the region from October 20 to December 1.
Police allege they packaged the cars in shipping containers to send to the UAE for an estimated $9 million profit.
Their alleged operation was uncovered when two stolen Land Cruisers were driven into a wrecking yard in Rocklea on December 2.
Police declared the site a crime scene about 2.30am that day and found the cars inside a shipping container hidden behind a "facade" of disassembled vehicle parts.
Over the following weeks, two more shipping containers containing four allegedly stolen cars were found in the Port of Brisbane, and four shipping containers were found in the Port of Melbourne.
Police have only recovered 15 of the allegedly stolen Toyotas, with the outstanding cars already in the UAE.
The seven men, aged between 28 and 45, have been arrested and charged with over 300 offences.
South Brisbane District Detective Inspector Paul Dalton said the men were all in Australia legally.
He alleged they stole the cars without keys and within minutes with a method only seen before in Victoria.
Brisbane Detective Acting Inspector Russell Joyce says it is unclear why the men were allegedly targeting Toyota cars in Brisbane.
Joyce also stressed that the companies that moved the shipped containers did so without knowledge of what was contained inside.
The inspectors were unable to say exactly how the seven men were connected and how their alleged operation came to be, but said investigations were ongoing.
[Source: 9news.com.au]
