Gang stole cars and shipped parts to Africa

A key player in a London-based gang that exported stolen car parts to Nigeria has been jailed in a case handled by the Fraud Prosecution Service.

Sina Abiodun Adebayo was sentenced to two years in July for leading an operation police believed accounted for up to 98 per cent of old-style Mercedes thefts in London - more than 120 cars a month.

Once stolen, the cars would be systematically stripped at two scrap yards in Stratford, East London. The parts would then be shipped to Africa, reaping profits of over  70,000 pounds a month.

In August 2006, supported by local officers, police dogs and even a helicopter, officers from the Metropolitan Police Stolen Vehicle Unit raided the yards.

Adebayo is pictured, centre, being arrested at a yard by two officers from the Metropolitan Police Stolen Vehicle Unit.

At the yards they found more than 80 cars. Further vehicles had been hidden in nearby lorries.

The case was handled by the Fraud Prosecution Service because the team had a lawyer available when police were seeking pre-charge advice.

Moreover, at that stage the case potentially involved large sums of money, international elements and confiscation issues.

FPS Caseworker Rosanna Pompa, who supported lawyer Jane McKelvie-Jutsum, said: "The prosecution ended up running quite smoothly, due largely to the excellent investigation by the police, who had obtained good surveillance tapes."

Adebayo, 45, left, pleaded guilty to six counts of handling stolen motor vehicles and asked for 21 other counts to be taken into consideration. Judge Gregory Stone recommended that he be deported following sentence.

Fraud Prosecution Service's Higher Court Advocate Antony Swift helped present the case at Southwark Crown Court.

Of his first jury trial for the FPS he said: "The key to obtaining a guilty plea was confronting the defence with a composite surveillance video showing Adebayo the key moments he was seen with various stolen cars.

"This combined with a schedule of admissions showing which vehicles had been stolen and when, what parts were recovered and how the defendant could be linked to the vehicles and parts, left the defence with little option other than to plead guilty and attempt to mitigate his involvement."

In November a POCA (Proceeds of Crime Act 2002) hearing will be held at Southwark Crown Court to determine what action should be taken to confiscate Adebayo's criminal assets.