Detectives in Kirklees have raided industrial units believed to have been used to break up stolen cars.
Police descended on two units on the Calder Wharf Mills industrial estate, off Huddersfield Road, Ravensthorpe , on Tuesday.
Inside officers found several high-powered, prestige cars which were in the process of being dismantled. The cars included several BMWs.
Also found were stacks of car parts including alloy wheels, body panels, bumpers, wing mirrors, doors and seats. There was also a huge quantity of engine and mechanical parts.
Ravensthorpe was the scene of a big disturbance on Thursday night .
Residents in Charles Street confronted the driver of a Vauxhall Insignia estate who was seen acting suspiciously, fearing he was connected to a series of robberies on the homes of Asian families.
The driver sped off, hitting five people before abandoning the car and running off. He was chased into the toilets at Subway on the nearby Ravensthorpe Shopping Park where he was arrested. A 17-year-old youth is on bail pending further inquiries.
In the latest raid police arrested two local men, one aged 54 and the other 21, both on suspicion of burglary.
A BMW stolen from Leeds was also seized.
A 35-year-old man was arrested from a second unit on suspicion of theft of motor vehicles.
Det Insp George Bardell, of Kirklees CID , said: “The early evidence suggests that stolen vehicles from West Yorkshire and the north of England may have been handled there.
“We were alerted to the premises following intelligence received directly from the local community, following the increased policing presence over recent weeks.
“Our investigation is at an early stage and we would encourage anyone in the area who has any information to come forward.”
The Examiner can reveal that the Vauxhall Insignia abandoned in Charles Street had been stolen from outside the Honeywell wholesale security depot in Armley Road, Leeds, on Monday of last week.
The company car was being loaded with deliveries when it was stolen by raiders who also snatched a till from the store.
The woman who used the car had left her house keys in the car and her home address was in the sat nav. She has now changed her locks as a precaution.
The woman, who regularly makes deliveries in the Kirklees area, said she wanted to make the community aware that the car had been stolen in case it was repaired and put back on the road.
Anyone with information can contact Kirklees District CID via 101.
