Man jailed after 'chop shop' found on farmland

A man who played an "important role" in an organised crime group which transported £325,000 worth of stolen car parts to a secret "chop shop" has been jailed.

Osvaldas Ubarevicius, from Birmingham, would drive illegal materials to a lock-up on farmland near Malmesbury in Wiltshire. The parts would then be sold on.

The 31-year-old was found guilty of conspiring to dishonestly receive stolen goods and possessing criminal property after a trial at Winchester Crown Court.

Ubarevicius, a Lithuanian national, was jailed on Thursday for 30 months. After he has spent his time behind bars, he is due to be deported.

DC Sue McCartney, from Wiltshire Police, said: "Ubarevicius played an important role in this criminal network, which profited from the theft and dismantling of high-value vehicles, causing considerable financial loss, disruption and anxiety to victims."

Police found out about the Malmesbury chop shop on 22 April after a tip-off from a private tracking company.

Officers went to the location and discovered the site was "likely part of an organised crime network" which revolved around the export of stolen car parts.

CCTV linked a white Sprinter van to the lock-up and two days later the vehicle was stopped in Hertfordshire.

Parts of a vehicle which had been stolen that morning were found in the rear of the van, which itself transpired to be stolen.

The driver, Ubarevicius, was arrested and charged with two offences.

McCartney said the operation Ubarevicius was part of would have involved "at least £325,000 worth of stolen vehicle parts, with their value likely to increase significantly once sold on".

She added that enquires were ongoing "to identify others involved and disrupt this type of organised criminality".

Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.