DOZENS of residents in and around Logan may have fallen victim to a major criminal used car syndicate.
Four Daisy Hill men will front court in January, alleged to have doctored old cars and selling them to buyers on social media for highly inflated prices.
Police said alleged fraudsters would make modifications, wind back the odometer, and sell them at higher prices.
The criminal syndicate had been preying on the buyers of second-hand vehicles across Queensland, police said.
Warrants were on Thursday executed in Daisy Hill, Mount Gravatt East, Logan Central and Upper Mount Gravatt.
An additional crime scene warrant was executed at Rochedale with investigators from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) who identified and examined all vehicles on this site.
During the searches police located over $411,000 in cash and a total of 155 vehicles.
Police will allege the syndicate bought cars in a poor state, some repairable write-offs, and with high kilometres.
They then conducted unlicenced or substandard repairs and modifications by adding new wheels, bull bars, apparent rust proofing, winding the odometers back between 50,000 to 400,000km, and provided false road worthy certificates, police allege.
Cars would be sold to legitimate buyers for an inflated price through a social media marketplace.
“For example, a Toyota Landcruiser Troop-carrier was purchased for $8000, the odometer wound back 400,000km and then sold for $54,000 a short time after purchasing it,” police said.
“The syndicate have predominantly been preying on the buyers of second-hand four-wheel drive vehicles and police believe they have sold approximately 700 vehicles this year.”
Four men, aged 23, 28, 38 and 47, from Daisy Hill have each been charged with 39 charges, including fraud, attempted fraud, tainted property and unlawful use of a motor vehicle.
They have been bailed to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on January 27, 2023.
A fifth man, 30, from Upper Mount Gravatt, was charged with 44 counts of fraud and attempted fraud this morning.
Detective acting inspector Mick Corby from the South Eastern Region Major and Organised Crime Squad said investigations were part of ongoing Operation Dagobah and Mercury investigations and links to fraudulent business operations which funds further criminal activity.
Anyone who believed they had purchased a second-hand vehicle that has been subject to odometer tampering or is unroadworthy is advised to have the vehicle mechanically checked and contact the Office of Fair Trading.
The Office of Fair Trading’s director of investigations and enforcement, Steve L’Barrow encouraged car buyers to do their research before making their purchase.
“People looking to buy a used vehicle should visit odometer check websites to assess the history of the vehicle and the Personal Property Securities Register where they can check if the car they are looking to buy is recorded as debt free, stolen or written off” Mr L’Barrow said.
“The OFT will not tolerate this type of behaviour and my warning to other motor dealers operating illegally is the OFT will take action.”
Operation Dagobah and Mercury is made up of members from the Crime and Intelligence Commands’ Organised Crime Squad and Gangs Group, and Brisbane and South Eastern regions, supported by specialist resources from Operations Support Command, to spearhead investigations into incidents between two rival groups.
