
Gangs are stealing prestige vehicles from the driveways of wealthy homes and exporting them from Britain in less than 60 minutes.

The organised criminals are targeting sought-after BMWs, Range Rovers, Audis and even trucks and diggers.

The modern vehicles are often stolen using high-tech hacking equipment that means the thieves do not even need a key.

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Prestige vehicles: Organised criminals are targeting sought-after BMWs, Range Rovers, Audis and even trucks and diggers

Discovery: Police found a container filled with valuable parts from at least 29 stolen BMWs that had been broken down

Stolen: The vehicles are driven into shipping containers and exported to clients in Africa, Cyprus, the U.S. and even Malaysia and Burma

They are driven into shipping containers and exported to clients in Africa, Cyprus, the U.S. and even Malaysia and Burma.

Some of the car theft rings are so sophisticated they can steal a car and get it out of the country in less than an hour.

Last month the authorities recovered 44 vehicles worth more than £1.2million in a nationwide crackdown.

The operation, led by the National Crime Agency and Border Force, targeted containers at ports across the country.

Eighteen of the vehicles were stolen from addresses in London, Surrey, Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire, Germany and the Netherlands.

Some were concealed inside containers by loads of clothes and other consumer goods, or hidden behind large sheets of cardboard.

Operation: Last month the authorities recovered 44 vehicles worth more than £1.2million in a nationwide crackdown

Quick: Some of the car theft rings are so sophisticated they can steal a car and get it out of the country in less than an hour

Theft: 18 of the vehicles were stolen from addresses in London, Surrey, Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire, Germany and the Netherlands

Exporting and selling stolen vehicles on the black market is a lucrative business for organised crime groups as they also avoid tax or import duties Tom Dowdall, National Crime Agency

Many of the other stolen cars belonged to finance companies who had been duped into loaning them to bogus customers or to hire companies.

Police also discovered a container filled with valuable parts from at least 29 stolen BMWs that had been broken down.

Prestigious vehicles are highly prized by criminals themselves and also retain their value for resale wherever they are transported in the world.

Tom Dowdall, of the NCA’s Border Policing Command, said some criminal networks have begun paying for consignments of drugs with cars.

He said: ‘Exporting and selling stolen vehicles on the black market is a lucrative business for organised crime groups as they also avoid tax or import duties.

‘This type of crime not only affects car owners but also manufacturers, insurance companies and vehicle-related businesses such as rental companies and garages.’

Moved: Prestigious vehicles are highly prized by criminals and also retain their value for resale wherever they are transported

Range Rover: Last year 90,000 vehicles were stolen in Britain and the authorities believe and many of these will have been exported

Containers: The modern vehicles are often stolen using high-tech hacking equipment that means the thieves do not even need a key

Last year 90,000 vehicles were stolen in Britain and the authorities believe and many of these will have been exported, according to the ACPO Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service, which was involved in the operation.

This type of crime not only affects car owners but also manufacturers, insurance companies and vehicle-related businesses Tom Dowdall, National Crime Agency

Many steal vehicles to order with four wheel drive among the most commonly stolen because they can be used in countries with poor roads.

Methods used to steal vehicles include hacking into onboard computer systems, taking keys during burglaries or the use of fake documents to hire vehicles or obtain them on finance.

Gangs can break into a car and programme a new electronic key or use devices to ‘grab’ security coding when the owner uses their fob.

Experts are concerned that thieves may even be using computer malware to take over vehicle systems via satellite, issuing remote commands for them to unlock and start up.

Many devices can be bought cheaply online, often from websites based in Bulgaria. They are accompanied by video tutorials posted online.

The problem was first exposed several years ago in certain models, but police now suspect that all modern makes are potentially vulnerable.