Thieves ‘chop shop’ shut down
O Tracker leads recovery group to hoard of stolen motorcycles O ‘We gained entry, and it was shocking’
Abike recovery firm who tracked a stolen machine to an abandoned office accidentally uncovered a huge ‘bike-chopping’ operation. Stolen Motorcycle Recovery London reported on their Facebook page that they were searching for a stolen BMW fitted with a BikeTrac unit in the Isle of Dogs area and ended up finding more than they bargained for. “We got to the location but couldn’t spot the bike, so requested police assistance to locate it,” the group said in a statement.
“They were there in 10 minutes and it was then ‘game on’. They searched the initial areas we thought it might be but to no avail, before identifying a building entrance hall and abandoned office space that was locked and smelled of petrol.
“We managed to gain entry and it was shocking – we’d discovered our very first fully functioning commercial grade chop shop! A number of expensive bikes were being worked on and there was evidence of other bikes having gone through the workshop.” Luckily, the team found the BMW S1000RR they were hunting for intact, plus a Triumph 1050 and Yamaha R6 that were then both seized to later be inspected by a vehicle examiner. A Honda moped was confirmed stolen and was recovered for the owner. They also found three stripped-down frames, one of which belonged to a bike reported stolen just 10 days ago. Police also discovered a quantity of drugs and a large machete at the location and are continuing to investigate the finds.
The Stolen Motorcycle Recovery London group works to help the victims of bike crime by tracking down and returning stolen bikes. They offer their services free of charge and work alongside the police to reunite bikers with their pride and joy.