Keyless car theft gang member jailed

A gang member who stole £200,000 worth of cars in Peterborough has been jailed

Valdas Raudis, 43, was identified as part of a police investigation where he was linked to keyless car thefts across the city.

The investigation found he had used specialist equipment to scan and obtain victims’ car key fob frequencies from within houses and drive the vehicles away without detection.

Raudis, who has previously been convicted of similar thefts in Lithuania and Germany, was the partner in crime of Paulius Puras who was convicted earlier this year and received a 28-month prison sentence.

Puras helped Raudis with eight of the ten thefts which took place between June 13 and October 18 last year. The cars were taken fromThorney, Stanground, Werrington,Orton Northgate, Orton Wistow, Northborough and Parnwell.

Six out of the ten vehicles were recovered after being hidden in communal car parks across Peterborough.

On 5 March, 2020, officers conducted a warrant at Raudis’ home address in West Town, Peterborough, where they arrested him.

Officers searched his home and found a cannabis production set up in the loft, later valued at £12,700. They also seized £11,655 in cash.

Raudis appeared at Peterborough Crown Court on 3 April where he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal motor vehicles, production of cannabis, possession of criminal property and abstracting electricity.

He was sentenced at Cambridge Crown Court to three years and eight months in prison.

PC Craig Trevor said: “This result today comes from nine months of investigation into Raudis and Puras’ criminal activities committing keyless vehicle thefts. Their actions had a significant impact on the victims as most of the vehicles stolen were family SUVs so parents were left without transport to go to work or take their children to school.’’