Tracker and U.K. police forces uncovered a record 60 illegal ‘chop shops’ in 2024. This compares to just two chop shops found in 2020 and underlines the rapid growth of organised crime gangs in using chop shops to dismantle stolen cars, strip them of parts and sell them on for profit. It’s a lucrative business for the unscrupulous, but in 2024, not only did Tracker and the police shut down an unparalleled number of chop shops, but they also made significant strides in outsmarting thieves by making 144 arrests - an increase of 80% year-on-year.
The discovery of these illegal chop shops was a direct result of police locating stolen vehicles fitted with Tracker devices that benefit from a unique combination of VHF with GPS/GSM technology. Crucially, these devices are immune to jamming, a method often employed by thieves to mask a vehicle’s whereabouts, such as chop shops. Not even industrial-sized jammers police frequently find when raiding chop shops are a match for Tracker’s technology.
Finding the chop shops was also a triumph for other car theft victims. In addition to the Tracker-fitted stolen vehicles found in chop shops last year, another 179 other stolen vehicles hidden in the same locations were also recovered and returned to their rightful owners.
“Our struggling economy means people are keeping their vehicles for longer, at the same time the cost of car parts has increased markedly, which has resulted in an unprecedented demand for good quality second-hand parts,” explains Clive Wain, Head of Police Liaison at Tracker. “Professional criminals have been quick to take advantage and meet demand. And it’s not just premium marques that thieves are targeting. We are increasingly recovering models manufactured in high-volumes, such as the Nissan Juke and Kia Sportage.”
Tracker is the only stolen vehicle recovery provider that is supported by all 43 police forces in the U.K. Over 2000 police cars and all police helicopters are equipped with its technology.
Clive Wain continues, “We are incredibly proud to be working hand-in-hand with U.K. police forces, making record numbers of arrests while firmly closing the door on illegal chop shops. However, we are a long way from winning the battle. According to DVLA figures obtained via a Freedom of Information request, 2024 saw the third-highest number of cars stolen in the past decade, confirming that the car crime epidemic is not waning. Whilst manufacturers are investing heavily in vehicle security to combat tech-savvy thieves, the culprits are quick to adapt. Indeed, we are seeing criminals revert to ‘old school’ methods to steal cars, such as breaking into houses or physically threatening and assaulting owners to take keys. It's clear owners need to do all they can to keep their vehicles safe and whilst a Tracker device won’t stop a car from being stolen, it will significantly increase the chances of it being recovered before it’s been broken down for parts.”
