Thousands arrested for West Midlands car thefts

West Midlands Police recovered more than 1,000 stolen cars in 2021

More than 2,000 people were arrested on suspicion of stealing cars in the West Midlands last year.

West Midlands Police said it recovered 1,004 stolen vehicles in the region between January and November 2021.

Among the 2,371 people arrested by officers were five teenagers suspected of being involved in 30 car key burglaries, the force said.

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster, said criminal gangs were behind many thefts.

"There is, sadly, a lot of money to be made by criminals in the stolen car market, especially when it comes to spare parts," he said.

"There is still more work to be done to prevent and tackle vehicle thefts across our region and I will be looking very closely at new ways to bring down these car theft gangs."

West Midlands Police is yet to collate its figures for December but said it anticipates a "record year" for arrests and car recoveries.

In 2020, the force said it arrested 2,465 people suspected of being involved in car theft and recovered 1,035 stolen vehicles.

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