Police trace Ferrari, Range Rover Sport to Essex port Vehicles can fetch up to 3 times UK price on Middle East black market LONDON: UK police have recovered two luxury cars belonging to Premier League footballers that had been stolen and were bound for Dubai, The Times reported. The Ferrari and Range Rover Sport were found hidden in shipping containers at London Gateway port in Thurrock, Essex by the Stolen Vehicle Intelligence Unit. The vehicles, stolen from two neighboring counties earlier this year, belong to two players who between them have more than 100 international caps. So far this year, 517 stolen cars and parts worth $20 million have been seized by the unit. Criminal gangs across the UK have turned to vehicle theft, particularly in wealthy areas, with thieves choosing to strip cars or ship them overseas to be sold. Luxury vehicles can fetch two to three times their UK value on the black market in the Middle East and Africa. The UK’s Office for National Statistics recorded 130,289 vehicle thefts in 2022, an increase of 25 percent over the previous year. One of the footballers praised the unit for recovering his vehicle, with PC Phil Pentelow saying: “He was genuinely thankful and taken aback by the lengths we had gone to. “His car was clearly very dear to him and he was very impressed with the service he’d had from the police. “Even though he plays for one of my team’s biggest rivals, he was a nice guy and down to earth. It was good to help him.”