Eighteen arrested after £1.5m car thefts in London and home counties

Land Rovers and Range Rovers were targeted by a criminal car theft gang

Eighteen people have been arrested following police raids as part of an inquiry into the theft and sale of vehicles worth more than £1.5m.

Met Police said the stolen cars included Mitsubishi, Hyundai, Land Rover and Range Rover models, taken across London, Essex and Hertfordshire.

One of the cars had a baby inside that was then abandoned at the roadside.

Ten people have been charged with various offences, including conspiracy to steal motor vehicles.

The force said the thefts covered a four-year period and it had gathered intelligence for a year before the raids on 1 and 15 February.

The arrested group included three women and 15 men, aged between 30 and 60.

'Organised and prolific'

Officers said the cars had been disguised using cloned details from other vehicles, and sold on to unsuspecting members of the public.

Det Con David Van Der Valk said: "This organised criminal network has been operating pretty much undeterred for the past four years whilst stealing vehicles, primarily in London, Hertfordshire and Essex.

"The sale of the cloned vehicles has a significant financial impact on individuals from all around the UK, with stolen vehicles recovered as far afield as Glasgow."

During one of the raids officers found a firearm believed to be an adapted air gun.

Det Sgt Danny Cooper, of the Specialist Crime Command, said the criminals had been "very organised and prolific in their activities, causing significant loss and hardship to their victims, while making significant financial gains for themselves".