Telford businessman, 25, sentenced for role in £150,000 luxury car thefts gang

Luxury vehicles, including a Porsche Boxster, BMW M140i and a £35,000 Mercedes ML 250, were targeted by the crew who made off with cars worth nearly £150,000.

Many ended up being delivered to entrepreneur Cameron Mushtaq, 25, of Park Court, Hadley, who admitted conspiracy to steal.

The gang was spread across England and Wales and the cars were stolen with the aim of transferring and selling their parts.

Andrew Kendall, prosecuting, told Cardiff Crown Court the criminals operated in Newport, South Wales, between December 14, 2018, and January 23, 2019.

Daniel Niinenae, 37, of Risca; Dominic Hughes, 28, of Abertillery and Stuart Smith, 37, of Merthyr Tydfil, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal.

Mr Kendall said some of the cars, including the Boxster, were recovered after the vehicles were abandoned.

He said detectives were able to catch the gang by analysing information on their mobile phones. The court heard that one text message read: “Porsches are no good because (we) can’t sell them.”

Mr Kendall said: “Between December 14, 2018, and January 23, 2019, there was a series of burglaries and car thefts in the Newport area. The prosecution says that some, if not all of these vehicles were destined to be delivered to the defendant, Cameron Mushtaq in Telford.”

Mushtaq had four previous convictions for six offences, including robbery for which he served a custodial sentence at a young offenders institution.

Havoc

Seamran Kaur Sidhu, representing Mushtaq, said her client was “embarrassed and remorseful” and was now reconciled with his family after falling out with them.

Judge Nicola Jones told the four: “This was an unsophisticated operation which wreaked havoc on the people who were the victims in this case. You were stealing to order.”

Mushtaq was jailed for 18 months, suspended for 22 months, and was ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and 35 thinking skills sessions.

Niinenae was jailed for 21 months and Smith for 19 months. Hughes was jailed for 18 months, suspended for 22 months, and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and complete a five-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

Outside the court, Detective Constable Michelle Thorne said: “This sentencing marks the end of a complex investigation into an organised crime gang spread across England and Wales who stole multiple cars in Gwent, with the aim of transferring and selling their parts.

“I would like to thank colleagues at South Wales and West Mercia Police Forces for their assistance, and to the victims of these thefts who have supported the investigation throughout.

“I hope this case acts as a reminder to drivers that they should be vigilant – no matter the weather – against opportunistic thieves. Lock the windows and doors of your house, day and night, and do not leave vehicles unattended or running.”