Six Men Charged in Connection with Keyless Vehicle Thefts
Six men have been charged as part of an investigation into a series of high-end vehicle thefts across Hertfordshire and the surrounding counties.
The men were arrested after a warrant was executed in East Herts on Friday 7 May. The operation was the culmination of a long-running investigation by the constabulary’s Tactical Resources team, supported by colleagues from the Serious and Organised Crime Command.
The men have all been charged with conspiracy to steal (between 6 November, 2020 and 7 May, 2021) and using apparatus for the purpose of interfering with wireless telegraphy (between 6 November, 2020 and 7 May, 2021). They are:
- Marijus Mickeliunas, aged 25, of Barnmead Gardens, Dagenham
- Davidos Astravas, aged 32, of Rosemary Gardens, Dagenham
- Arturas Navikas, aged 37, of Lambourne Crescent, Chigwell
- Martynas Kuzma, aged 19, of Welling Road, Orsett
- Andrius Semenkovas, aged 31, of Welling Road, Orsett
- Yuozas Velicka, aged 20, of Welling Road, Orsett
All six have been remanded into custody and are due to appear at St Albans Crown Court for a pre-trial preparation hearing on Monday 7 June.
Investigators have so far linked 44 offences to the series, committed across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Essex, London and Surrey – 30 of those were in Herts.
Three ‘chop shops’ have also been identified, where stolen vehicles are dismantled so that the parts can be sold or used to repair other stolen vehicles.
Herts offences occurred in the following towns: Berkhamsted, Borehamwood, Croxley Green, Cuffley, Hatfield, Potters Bar, Sawbridgeworth, St Albans, Watford and Welwyn Garden City.