Man Jailed for 30 Months Over £325,000 Stolen Car Parts Linked to Malmesbury

A man involved in an organised crime group responsible for transporting hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of stolen high-value vehicle parts has been jailed following a police investigation into a suspected chop shop near Malmesbury.

Osvaldas Ubarevicius, 31, formerly of Browns Green, Birmingham, was sentenced to 30 months in prison at Winchester Crown Court on Thursday, 22 October. The Lithuanian national is due to be deported after serving his sentence.

Wiltshire Police said the operation involved at least £325,000 worth of stolen vehicle parts, with their value potentially increasing significantly when sold on.

The investigation began on 22 April this year after a private vehicle tracking company reported finding a lock-up on farmland near Malmesbury containing high-value vehicles that had been dismantled into parts.

Officers attended the site and their initial enquiries indicated that the premises were likely to be connected to an organised criminal network involved in exporting stolen vehicle parts overseas.

CCTV enquiries subsequently linked a white Mercedes Sprinter van to the location. Two days later, officers from Hertfordshire Police stopped the vehicle.

Police discovered parts from a vehicle that had been stolen that same morning inside the van. Further enquiries also established that the van itself had been stolen.

Ubarevicius, who was driving the vehicle, was arrested and later charged with conspiring to dishonestly receive stolen goods and possessing criminal property. He was remanded in custody before his trial.

Following proceedings at Winchester Crown Court, he was found guilty of both offences and received a 30-month prison sentence.

Detective Constable Sue McCartney, from Wiltshire Police's Criminal Investigation Department, said Ubarevicius had played an important role in the criminal network, which profited from stealing and dismantling high-value vehicles.

She said the offences had caused considerable financial losses, disruption and anxiety for the victims.

DC McCartney also thanked the private tracking company that reported the lock-up near Malmesbury, highlighting the importance of information from businesses in helping police investigate organised crime.

She praised the force's Forensic Collision Investigation Unit for its work examining, identifying, recovering and seizing a significant number of exhibits over several weeks. The team also arranged secure storage for the recovered evidence.

The detective said the successful outcome demonstrated the value of collaboration between different police departments and external organisations.

Wiltshire Police confirmed that wider enquiries remain ongoing as officers continue working to identify other people who may have been involved in the criminal network.

The force said the investigation forms part of its efforts to disrupt organised criminal activity linked to vehicle theft and the movement of stolen goods.

The case highlights the scale of organised vehicle crime and the significant financial impact it can have on victims, while also demonstrating how vehicle tracking information, CCTV evidence and cooperation between police forces can help bring offenders before the courts.