Police dismantle vehicle rebirthing outfit, $500,000 worth of stolen cars recovered

A man has been arrested and a vehicle rebirthing operation shut down after Victoria Police discovered more than a dozen stolen cars on his property.

The Vehicle Crime Squad, working with the Vehicle Examination Unit, executed a search warrant at a semi-rural property in Cranbourne East – approximately 56km south-east of Melbourne – following an investigation into alleged theft, rebirthing, and on-selling of stolen vehicles.

Among the find was a Toyota LandCruiser, a Mazda BT-50 ute, and seven V8-powered Holden models.

"The term motor vehicle rebirthing covers a few different scenarios, but in essence, it refers to modifying or removing identifying information from a stolen vehicle or stolen parts to disguise the fact that it has been stolen," Detective Inspector Julie Macdonald, Vehicle Crime Squad, said in a written statement.

"The wider ramifications of this kind of crime can ripple through to the entire community – from someone who can’t get to work or get their kids to school because their car’s been stolen, to insurance premiums being raised for everyone to cover the costs of vehicle theft."

Also discovered were three road bikes, a dirt bike, a quad bike, five car engines, a trailer, a front-end loader, and a forklift – all allegedly stolen.

It's believed the total value of the goods is worth more than half a million dollars.

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Police have charged a 39-year-old man with 11 counts of handle stolen goods, possess proceeds of crime, and drug trafficking offences.

The latest arrest comes weeks after Victoria Police shut down another alleged vehicle rebirthing operation in nearby Dandenong South, as well as an illegal number plate cloning racket in Frankston North.

"Rebirthed vehicles can be a major safety threat to unwitting buyers – often the rebirthing process is not carried out by a qualified mechanic, meaning that the car could have serious issues which can result in an accident," Detective Inspector Macdonald said.

"The Vehicle Crime Squad will continue to target those contributing to organised motor vehicle crime in Victoria and shut down any illegal activity of this nature."

Detective Inspector Macdonald encouraged anyone to report suspicious activity or those with information about vehicle rebirthing to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.