Police Recover $6 Million Worth of Luxury Vehicles Stolen by Home Invaders Prior to Being Shipped to Africa.

      6ABC Philadelphia/YouTube

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      Authorities announced this week that a criminal organization operating in the Tri-State area has been charged with stealing numerous luxury vehicles that were subsequently shipped overseas. These thieves specifically targeted high-end cars parked at homes in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, often breaking into residences to take the key fobs, allowing them to steal the vehicles without causing damage.

      The criminals set up several unauthorized “showrooms” in parking garages located in the Longwood area of The Bronx, where buyers could inspect the stolen vehicles before paying cash for their shipment to clients in Gambia and Ghana, according to CBS News New York.

      “These are not minor offenses; they're part of a multimillion-dollar black market that contributes to violence and instability,” stated Jessica Tisch, Commissioner of the New York Police Department.

      In connection with the investigation, authorities seized 72 stolen vehicles, including a 2025 Rolls-Royce Cullinan that was ready to be shipped. As reported by TAPinto Edison, the criminals were linked to at least 42 thefts in New Jersey, frequently targeting late-model BMW crossovers and SUVs, particularly several 2023 and 2024 X5s and X7s.

      “This was a sophisticated criminal operation that deliberately stole high-end vehicles for the purpose of sending them to overseas buyers,” remarked Director Theresa L. Hilton of the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. “By collaborating, we managed to charge these defendants with serious offenses that could lead to lengthy prison sentences.”

      The recovered vehicles were located in shipping containers at ports in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and Staten Island, New York, where they were lined up for transport to West Africa.

      This week, eleven members of the criminal organization were charged in New Jersey (including one minor), and New York State filed charges against eight others. All individuals are facing racketeering charges, which entail prison sentences of 10 to 20 years, along with fines reaching up to $500,000.

      The phenomenon of stolen vehicles ending up in Africa and other regions is not new. Last year, CBC released a documentary revealing that cars recently arriving on Ghanaian shores still contained personal information from their original owners. The accompanying video showed investigative journalists contacting these owners after finding their phone numbers in the glove compartments. Unsurprisingly, the owners were shocked to learn that their vehicles had already crossed the Atlantic, and there was nothing they could do to reclaim them.