Boston man jailed for part in 'chop shop' operation
A Boston man has been jailed for his part in a ‘chop shop’ operation, Norfolk Constabulary has said.
When officers from Operation Moonshot carried out a warrant at a suspected ‘chop shop’ in Upwell, in Norfolk, on Saturday, November 23, they found a number of stolen vehicles, including two Porsches, a Mercedes, and two BMWs, the force said.
Two men were also found at the scene and arrested, it added.
Erikas Anzelis, aged 43, of Laughton Road, Boston, and Irmantas Spudys, aged 45, of no fixed address, were both subsequently charged with six counts of handling stolen goods and one of interfering with wireless telegraphy (using a signal jammer), the force continued. They both denied the charges, but were found guilty by a jury verdict following a three day trial in May, it added.
Appearing at Norwich Crown Court on Friday (July 4), they were each sentenced to five years in prison, the force said.
“Efforts had been made to hide the vehicles’ identities, but officers were able to match them as being stolen from Wiltshire, Hampshire, Thames Valley, and Greater Manchester,” a spokesman said, adding that the vehicles were found to have a combined value of £217,195.
Speaking after the case, police constable Imogen Douglas-De-Fenzi said: “This was a serious and organised enterprise which required skills and planning to steal, transport, and then strip down the vehicles usually sending the parts abroad.
“Car theft can have a devastating effect and we will continue to work to dismantle the organised criminal groups behind them to achieve results as we have in this case.”