Two Blackburn men, who admitted attempting to sell on two stolen Ford transit vans, including one which contained an expensive hydraulic drill, have narrowly avoided jail.
Hasim Umarji, 22 of Buncer Lane, Blackburn was handed a 6 month jail term, suspended for 2 years, and was ordered to undertake 250 hours unpaid work and pay a £100 victim surcharge. Umar Shafi, 21 of Clarence Street, Blackburn, was jailed for 3 months, suspended for 2 years, ordered to undertake 250 hours unpaid work and pay a £80 victim surcharge.
Both were sentenced at Preston Crown Court on Thursday, 2 June.
The first van was stolen from a Network Rail depot in Huddersfield on 17 December 2014. The van contained a specialist hydraulic crane worth over £9,000 which has yet to be recovered.
The second van was stolen from work premises in Preston a few days later, on 22 December 2014. The vehicle was discovered a few weeks later in Shropshire with false plates. It was seized and forensically examined.
Enquiries undertaken by officers into the thefts led them to a motor auction in Leeds, where it was discovered that two men had attempted to pass on the stolen Ford transit vans through the auction, but left when staff had become suspicious.
CCTV from the auction clearly showed two men attempting to sell the stolen vehicles. Umarji and Shafi were identified by officers and subsequently arrested.
Detective Constable Andy Jones from BTP said: “Forensic evidence discovered on the vehicles and the CCTV from the auction clearly linked both men to the crime and gave them no option but to plead guilty to handling stolen goods.
“We also discovered over £1000 cash stashed in clothing in Shafi’s wardrobe when we arrested him and searched his house, which was seized.”
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