Tracker defies odds to trace stolen BMW to Warsaw within 30 hours

Tracker traced a stolen car to the capital of Poland, less than 30 hours after it was taken from the West Midlands.

The UK’s leading Stolen Vehicle Recovery (SVR) system operator triumphed in tracking the BMW X5 after its owner, Paul Freeman of Telford, was duped into handing over its keys by a thief using a fake banker’s draft.

Parita Patel, marketing manager for TRACKER, said: “This is a startling case which highlights that there clearly are no barriers when it comes to stealing cars. Thanks to the co-operation of the police and our counterparts on the continent, we were able to swiftly trace the car to a side street in Warsaw, 1,144 miles away from where it was taken.”

Mr Freeman, of Muxton, Telford, realised he’d been conned into ‘selling’ his car when his bank refused to accept the £28,000 banker’s draft he’d been given, claiming it was fake. He immediately contacted the police and TRACKER. Within 30 hours, two UK police forces and a trail through France, Belgium and Poland, the BMW X5 was traced and the thief arrested after Polish police set up a road block.

Mr Freeman, aged 28, said: “I was set to lose everything, had it not been for TRACKER. In hindsight, the thief created a scenario which reassured me he was genuine. We were in regular contact prior to the ‘sell’, he offered cash and even had the audacity to persuade me to take £1,000 off my original asking price.”

Police have told Mr Freeman his car was stop-checked by suspicious officers at the port in Dover, but the thief was waved through after producing the relevant paper work to show he’d ‘bought’ the car.

Mr Freeman added: “He knew it had a TRACKER fitted, and looking back I now realise he used the ploy of buying the car on a Friday evening with a banker’s draft to give himself a three-day head start on getting the car back to Poland and out of TRACKER’s reach, or so he thought. Fortunately, TRACKER immediately set to work when I raised the alarm and managed to trace the car’s path to a side street in Warsaw.”

Detective Constable Mark Weale, of Malinsgate Police Station, Telford, said: “This is a remarkable story and, due to the distance and the short time involved, beggars belief.

“Clearly it was well planned. The thief obviously tried, but failed, to beat the TRACKER system. It really is remarkable to think the car was taken from Telford and tracked to Warsaw in Poland, and all within 24 hours.

“On investigation, I know Dover police officers had their own suspicions and stopped the thief at the port. Unfortunately at that time, the alarm hadn’t been raised and the TRACKER unit hadn’t been activated and, as he produced all the relevant paperwork which showed he’d bought the car, he was waved through.”

Assistant Chief Constable Dave Ainsworth of Kent Police, said: “Police engage a series of partners and the best of leading edge technology to defeat criminals who profit from the misuse of vehicles. This is an excellent example of collaboration across continents to achieve this aim.”