Hot Holdens targeted by Melbourne car theft ‘racket’
A number of late model Holden Special Vehicles (HSVs) have been targeted by an alleged car theft racket, operating in Melbourne’s north-east.
Victoria Police have charged two people for their involvement with the theft of multiple HSVs, with the hot Holdens allegedly stolen, stripped and sold for parts.
According to police, the man and woman were targeting late model Gen-F HSVs, the final series of the high-performance, Walkinshaw-modified Holden Commodores before local production ended.
On March 13, a HSV Maloo ute was allegedly stolen from a Melton West shopping centre car park within what police say was a half-hour period.
Following the execution of search warrants, the Maloo was subsequently recovered from a property in Derrimut a few days later, fortunately having not been stripped for parts.
The two people charged were a 23-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman, with the former charged with 12 offences - including seven counts of theft of motor vehicle, handling stolen goods and dealing with proceeds of crime - while the latter was charged with handling stolen goods, dealing with proceeds of crime and other offences.
Victoria Police didn’t detail how the vehicle and others were stolen, however VF Holden Commodores - upon which the HSV Gen-Fs were based - are vulnerable to a weakness which allows thieves to use devices to clone their keys.
This technology is responsible for approximately one-quarter of all car thefts in Victoria, with recent Toyotas also targeted by criminals.
