GMP reunite Land Rover Defender with its rightful owner

Greater Manchester Police have reunited another stolen vehicle with its owner a year after it went missing from Cheshire.

The Land Rover Defender was believed to be used in criminal activity across Greater Manchester, before officers tracked the vehicle down using proactive policing tactics.

After the vehicle was recovered it was passed on to the Force’s Stolen Vehicle Examination Unit with their hard work and dedication revealing its true identify.

The Defender was found to be on false number and the vehicle’s identification number (VIN) had also been altered, with the number falsely identifying as another legitimate Land Rover.

The Stolen Vehicle Examination Unit Supervisor Peter Johnson said: “Our team worked tirelessly and in particular, Dave Murphy and Jason Roberts used their unique set of skills to reveal the Land Rover Defender’s true identity. The hard work we put into something like this makes it all worth it when you can reunite the vehicle with its rightful owner.

“This kind of job is something that we do on a daily basis here at the SVEU, we have uncovered the real identity of thousands of vehicles that have passed through our workshops, and this is another to add to that list.

“The Defender’s owner was especially pleased to get the vehicle back because he had been in dispute with his insurance company and had not been paid out 12 months on.

“He had owned the vehicle for more than 17 years and carried out his own custom modifications, so there was a sentimental element attachment to it also. My team worked with the owner and his input helped form part the investigation.” 

The Stolen Vehicle Examination Unit is part of Specialist Operations, Roads Policing based in Eccles.