Vehicle Repatriation

In October 2024, stories emerged about ‘Stolen luxury cars found in Thailand return to UK’ (BBC). Some 30 high-value stolen cars, exported to Thailand, were returned to the UK after a seven-year police investigation. At the date of loss, the cars were worth more than £6 million. They were described as ‘stolen by fraudsters’ in 2016 and 2017. How long it took UK authorities to repatriate the cars is unknown but it appears this poses complications for victims, the police and insurers. Take what would appear to be a relatively simple example:

In early 2022, a vehicle was stolen in London and the crime of ‘vehicle theft’ was reported to the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

Insurers paid the victim/owner/insured. The insurance company was entitled to the vehicle if it should be recovered.

The insurance company received notification from a private vehicle repatriation agent (VPA), as opposed to the police, that the car had been located in Lithuania, seized by law enforcement and the subject of title/ownership proceedings.

The vehicle displayed false identification, a vehicle registration mark (VRM) and VIN were from a like vehicle the the UK. The stolen vehicle, despite being used in Lithuania, had been cloned.

01/2023 the MPS were notified an agent advised having located the stolen vehicle, believed to be abroad. It was explained the VRM continued to appear on PNC as LoS and the MPS was asked if they had been updated regarding its location.

01/2023 the insurer was asked to complete a ‘declaration of ownership’ and Power of Attorney enabling an agent to act for them abroad, with regard to recovery. The vehicle was the subject of proceedings in Lithuania, seemingly associated with the ownership.

07/2023 the MPS confirmed the vehicle remains LOS in the UK and provided the recovery agent a letter to confirm the status of the vehicle in the UK adding ‘police have been informed that the vehicle may be in LITHUANIA and subject to criminal enquires. As far as the MPS is concerned the vehicle remains LOST or STOLEN until it is recovered to the UK’.

However, it is unknown who informed the police. It was explained ‘the Lithuanian Police sent an inquiry to Police UK about the circumstances of the theft and who is the current owner and who is authorized to collect it. No response from UK Police’.

08/2023, the MPS advised ‘There has been no update with regard to the vehicle’s current location or status’.

09/2023 the MPS were emailed ‘Request for Interpol notification and update’; ‘We understand INTERPOL NCBs (the UK’s being in Manchester?) do not respond to requests from the general public, that we should contact our local or national police, who will in turn contact the NCB. You are the constabulary to whom the crime was reported. It therefore appears appropriate for us to contact yourselves. If we should contact Kent Constabulary (local to us) or GMP (local to the insurer), please advise and provide appropriate contact details and we will redirect our enquiry. In the alternative, please forward this email to the UK’s Interpol NCB with the request that they provide an urgent response to Lithuania, contact them and update us asap. We would appreciate your confirmation the Interpol has been advised as above.’

09/2023, GMP responded ‘Thanks for your email. I’ve had a look through the GMP email address list but I can’t find an email address for an Interpol Liaison office or similar. However I believe that Interpol in the UK is call the National Crime Agency. I’ve found an email address for them if you would like to try resending your email directly to them, it is:- communication@nca.gov.uk‘.

09/2023 the NCA were emailed (cc’d to the MPS); ‘Please confirm that you are the appropriate party to whom we should address this request and the
action taken. If this needs to be directed to another, please provide their contact email and phone number’. The email was accompanied by further details.

The NCA and MPS were chased for updates.

11/2023, at the request of the Lithuanian authorities the MPS were approached for a copy of the crime report. The MPS referred us to ‘101’ and we explained the request did not fit an MoU approach. Surprise was raised about what seemed to be a lack of a process for the repatriation of a vehicle found in a county it appears information is exchanged with.

01/2024, we returned to the MPS again seeking the crime report, writing in an attempt to avoid a formal complaint. The response received explained:

I have previously explained to you that it is not within my power to send you a copy of the crime report.
For the report to be made available you will have to submit a request for freedom of information.
If you call 101 they will take you through the request application.

FoIA, a ‘disclosure to the world’ is not the appropriate means to acquire a crime report. Furthermore, it appeared the expectation was to engage with the NPCC/ABI MoU and make a formal request and pay £158.90. However, the insurer was not a party to the MoU (not an ABI member). It was suggested the MPS write, on their letterhead, setting out that the crime was reported and acted upon detailing the VRM, VIN, crime number and dates … with any additional information they considered pertinent.

01/2024 the MPS provide the letter (as above).

Original correspondence was posted to Lithuania.

An email was sent to the Lithuanian court – vilnius@prokuraturos.lt

02/2024 the VRA wrote

‘… we just need UK Police to get their act together they have let you down big time, please ask the UK Police Officer to request Interpol UK send the message to Lithuania Interpol ASAP’.s.

03/2024 the MPS was asked to either write to Interpol about this or provide their contact details

03/2024 the VRA wrote:

The inquiry was sent from Interpol Vilno to Interpol UK. I don’t know what email they sent to , they can’t tell me . The inquiry was sent on February 21, 2023. We need an answer from interpol who is the owner , who will collect and the circumstances of the theft to date they have never had an answer

04/2024 the NCA wrote:

In this instance, Lithuanian police forces would need to liaise with the relevant UK police force via Interpol in order to obtain further information.
Duty Officer (LS), NCA Control Centre, National Crime Agency Email: communication@nca.gov.uk

11/2024 the LoS marker on PNC was removed by the MPS.

Requests for information about repatriation and:

the DfT can be read here
- referred to the Home Office
the DVLA can be read here – no information held.
The Home Office can be read here
- questions raised regarding the Prüm agreement
- the UK’s INTERPOL desk for operational matters sits in the Joint International Crime Centre hosted in the National Crime Agency
- the fact of the recovery is likely to be returned to the relevant local police force investigating the original theft
- You may wish to contact the NPCC
the MPS can be read here.
The NCA can be read here.
The NPCC/ACRO can be read here.