Bolton, Bury and Oldham gang stole £3m worth of luxury cars

The gang, led by Bolton man Asif Hussain, stole the cars in what were often terrifying robberies and burglaries before shipping them overseas.

Hussain, 47, was jailed with six co-conspirators back in 2022 and this week another seven men appeared before Minshull Street Crown Court to be jailed.

Detective Constable Allan Barker from Greater Manchester Police's Serious Organised Crime Group said: “This has been a long and complex investigation, and I am grateful to the Crown Prosecution Service who have given their time, expertise, and insight throughout this entire process.

“I am particularly grateful to our victims who came forward and enabled us to bring such a strong case against these men.

“This gang were extremely organised and had sophisticated connections in prominent areas across the globe, meaning they were able to ship millions of pounds of stolen cars and vehicle parts overseas.”

The police investigation began in June 2019 when an Audi was hired from a dealership in Oldham but not returned.

It turned out to have been rented by Adam Ellwood, since jailed and was found at an industrial unit at Stockfield Mill, Chadderton with items belonging to three other stolen cars.

Police then found another unit less than two weeks later by tracing a rented Mercedes the group had stolen.

CCTV showed Tayoub Hasnain and Asif Hussain renting the vehicle with Hasnain having called the car hire company and the police, falsely claiming it had been stolen from his drive.

The tracking device fitted in the car led police to the second unit in Wigan were they found Hadir Ali and Ibraaz Shafique, with and a forklift truck being filled with engines from stolen vehicles.

The Mercedes was also found with seven more stolen vehicles including a Range Rover Sport and Porsche Cayenne, all missing parts.

Asif Hussain had registered himself as a director of a company which had its registered office address as the unit.

A third unit was found by police in Vale Mill, Chadderton, on December 4, 2019 after an Audi was stolen and later found dismantled alongside the parts from two other stolen vehicles.

Texts between the gang showed them plotting to hire another unit and in March 2020, police raided Vale Mill for a second time, finding 17 stolen vehicles stolen vehicle registration numbers.

In April 2020 police then searched Pioneer Mill and found five stolen vehicles that had been chopped up.

In investigation by the Serious Organised Crime Group found that all these case were linked.

They found a pattern of thefts, and “shopping lists” showing the men were stealing specific cars, specifically Range Rovers and Land Rovers for order.

Videos from the defendant’s phones showed them conducting drive bys, scoping out cars to steal.

In one video, Jangaria filmed a Range Rover saying, ‘it’s fresh.’

Over two years, evidence linked the gang to the theft of at least 90 high value cars, resulting in an overall loss of more than £3M.

Between January 2020 to January 2021, police identified 11 containers which were shipped overseas, intercepting three which were destined for the United Arab Emirates.

The gang had created a fake shipping company called KG logistics and  ordered the containers using fake company names.

But police found the locations where the gang would load the containers. The landlord for these containers, was David Brown, the same alleged landlord of unit in Wigan.

As detectives analysed the group’s finances, they saw that Shafique deposited £50,000 – a fraudulent Covid Bounce Back Loan for a front company he set up.

During the period of these conspiracies, almost £170,000 cash went through Shafique’s account.

Incriminating messages from their group chat they called ‘The Company’ showed group messages saying “five-o busted the yard again” after the police raid in Wigan in October 2019.

One car had been stolen off a drive whilst the owner was on holiday, while in another theft the gang walked into a house while the owners were in the garden and stole the keys.

In another case a man was threatened to stay inside his house whilst they stole his car, or he would be killed.

The group also posed as valet parking at Manchester airport and created false documents, so the victim handed over his keys, expecting his car to be kept safe whilst he was away.

A wide ranging investigation was carried out (Image: GMP)

DC Barker said: “The transnational nature of this group meant international collaboration was essential to this investigation, and ultimately led to the arrest these men.

“We will continue to collaborate and share intelligence with our international partners to make sure no one gets off lightly and they face justice for their crimes at home.”

In 2022, seven men were jailed for their parts in the conspiracy.

A police raid (Image: GMP)

Asif Hussain, 47 of Tonge Moor Road, Tonge Moor was jailed for 15 years for conspiracy to steal, two counts of conspiracy to handle stolen goods, and money laundering. 

Hadir Ali, 29, of Lee Street, Oldham, was jailed for 11 years for two counts of conspiracy to handle stolen goods.

Sajid Jangharia, 40, of Willows Lane, Bolton, was jailed for ten years for conspiracy to steal and conspiracy to handle stolen goods.

Tayoub Hasnain, 40, of Heywood Street, Bury, was jailed for five years and six months for conspiracy to steal and conspiracy to handle stolen goods.

Ibraaz Shafique, 25, of Camberwell Street, Oldham, was jailed for four years for two counts of conspiracy to handle stolen goods and two counts of fraud.

Two other men received suspended sentences.

Over the last three days, another seven men have been jailed for a collective 25 years at Minshull Street Crown Court.

Asif Matadar, 39, of Melbourne Road, Deane, has been sentenced to three years six months for conspiracy to steal. 

Shewaz Rehman, 29, of Hereford Street, Oldham, has been sentenced for four years nine months for conspiracy to handle stolen goods. 

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Imran Taj, 43, of Malvern Road, Oldham, has been sentenced for four years for conspiracy to handle stolen goods.

Zeeshan Ali, 34, of Ennerdale Terrance, Tameside, has been sentenced for three years nine months for conspiracy to handle stolen goods.

Adam Elwood, 30, of Kingston Avenue, Chadderton, has been sentenced for six years for two counts of handling stolen goods and drug offences.

Mohammed Irfan, 26, of Malvern Street, Oldham, has been jailed for three years for conspiracy to handle stolen goods.

James Hopkinson, 29, of Seatoller Court, Oldham, has been jailed for eight months suspended for 12 months.