Gang steal then re-steal over 30 cars
* Gang stole the same car up to four times * Operated in and around east London * jail sentences total eight years...
Five car thieves have been sentenced to a total of eight years in prison for stealing, selling, re-stealing and then re-selling more than 30 cars.
The gang targeted family cars worth 4000-6000 and police believe some cars were stolen, sold, re-stolen and then re-sold up to four times.
Most of the cars were stolen in east London, Essex and Hertfordshire, with the scam operating since 2003.
The defendants - Nokhiaz Khan, Paul Pepper, Michael Kellman, Wayne Francis and Sonny Sian - all pleaded guilty.
The gang's leader, Khan, is estimated to have made 1.2 million from the thefts. He was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison.
The other four were not deemed to have made visible gain from the thefts, having been involved only in the cars' sales. They were given sentences ranging from 36 weeks suspended for two years to two years in jail.
A financial investigation is now being conducted so any money they earned illegally is confiscated.
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