AUSTRALIA'S largest car manufacturer has been the victim of an unprecedented, multimillion-dollar theft racket involving some of its own employees.

The Sunday Mail can reveal more than $2.5 million in major car parts - comprising hundreds of V8 motors and transmissions - have been stolen from the GM Holden plant at Elizabeth.

Police believe the stolen motors and transmissions have been sold both through car clubs locally and along the east coast of Australia and on internet auction sites such as eBay.

The hi-tech V8 motors - which are fitted to the latest model VE Commodores - retail for around $10,000 each through Holden dealers but were being sold for between $1500 and $2000 by the thieves on the black market.

Police have been conducting a major investigation into the racket since January, so far questioning several workers employed at the GMH plant. Numerous properties linked to them have also been raided.

Organised Crime Investigation Branch officer-in-charge Detective Superintendent Peter Harvey confirmed the operation, codenamed Echidna, was "well under way".

While he would not comment on specifics, it is understood the investigation was launched after Elizabeth CIB detectives uncovered a V8 engine, later found to be stolen from the Elizabeth plant, at a northern suburbs address during an unrelated inquiry.

The thefts have highlighted a major deficiency in GMH's inventory handling system at Elizabeth, with the carmaker unaware of the scale of the thefts until SA police alerted the company.

Sources said the investigation had so far recovered several stolen V8 engines, and automatic and manual transmissions from locations in the Riverland.

Detectives have also travelled interstate as part of their investigations, with several suspects in Queensland of particular interest.

It is understood detectives have discovered how the engines and transmissions were removed from the plant, which will produce 90,000 cars this year and is equipped with security checkpoints for trucks and vehicles entering and exiting.

This has been the focal point of the investigation to date.

Sources said there was "no effective tracking system" to ensure that each of the major components delivered to the plant actually were used and this had enabled the thefts to continue until detected by police.

"There is little doubt there have been dishonest people working at the plant who have been either directly responsible and more than likely, others who have been complicit in this activity to facilitate it," a source said.

GMH received a $275 million bailout from the state and federal governments in March to ensure its operations remained opened at Elizabeth. GMH corporate affairs manager in SA Sean Poppitt declined to comment when contacted.

"It is an ongoing investigation and we are not at liberty to discuss any details of it as yet," he said.

"We are co-operating fully with SA police and because it is ongoing, unfortunately that is all we can say at this point."

Det Supt Harvey said "the operation is certainly very complex".

"I am really pleased with the progress so far, but there is more work to do," he said.

"I can say that those involved can anticipate some very close attention from police, but we are also happy to talk with anyone who would like to come forward with information that can assist."

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/holden...-1226413245600

 

Wow..

Considering all these V8 Engines have been imported from GM North America, one would question the book keeping/serial number checking and stock control on both sides..."no effective tracking system"

One or two maybe go missing, but 100's.

Don't you just love it....little small old Australian taxpayers give GMH $275 million to try and bribe them to stay in Australia...so we give money to an American corporation owned by the US Government to keep them all happy....F@#king corporate welfare is just bloody disgusting.

I know it is not a lot of money, but we are only 21 million in population.....this money hand out happens every few years....Mitsubishi Motors here was given bucket loads of cash and still folded in the end.

 

meh ... Government Motors, what do you expect?

watch, in another 10 years or so, we will see another bailout coming, the one in 2008(or was it 09?)wasn't their first time anyway, I just feel sorry for their debt holders, BOOM government saids hey break the company with their DEBT, START FResh, ooo, Brand new again. sad.

 

I know the area of where GMH is at Elizabeth, and what gets me is how these 100's of Engines and Trans got out of the plant in the first place, that is IF they ever got in there?

What were the guys on the security gates doing, its not like you can put it in your lunch box/kit and walk out...lol

I mean, Holden's don't make that many V8's, about as many as Mazda makes/made RX-8's.

 

Maybe this is why I have seen three Rx8's with LS3's in the last week.

 

^^ good point, no wonder people are so happy about doing swaps then

 

Stolen Holden parts go off-road | adelaidenow

HOLDEN engines stolen from the Elizabeth plant in a sophisticated heist worth $2.5 million have found their way into off-road race cars.
The Advertiser understands some engines and parts stolen from the carmaker have been sold to amateur motor racers who compete in desert and dirt-circuit race events. Police have been monitoring the nationwide organised crime syndicate since at least January, with assistance from Holden.

Desert-race vehicles - high-performance machines competing in events such as the Finke Desert Race - have emerged as a key target for the parts, which include at least 180 V8 engines imported from General Motors' operations in Canada.

Regional dirt-circuit racers are also suspected of having received stolen parts.

Detectives have questioned members and checked vehicles competing in the Associated Dirt Circuit Clubs of South Australia based on the Eyre Peninsula, an association official said yesterday. "There's some involvement ... in a very small way," the club official said.

"There are much bigger fish. Police have checked out all avenues as I understand it ... gathering information."

The Far West Coast town of Ceduna is understood to be a place of interest in the police investigation.

Stolen Holden parts have been detected in the Riverland and an engine was found in a garage in Adelaide's northern suburbs, sparking the investigation, as revealed in the Sunday Mail.

Police have also travelled as far away as Queensland as part of the investigation.

More information about the case is expected to be released by SA Police in the next week. A former Holden worker has also revealed that it is not the first time the Elizabeth plant has been rocked by a scandal over stolen parts.

The retired worker, who did not wish to be identified, said a dozen security staff from the Holden plant were sacked in the early 1980s when they were caught stealing and selling large quantities of parts.

Holden covered up the thefts, he said, adding they were discovered when workers parked their cars with not-yet-released parts fitted to them in staff car parks.

All but one of the plant protection officers were sacked, the worker claimed.

 

so that means that people working in that plant has been stealing **** for YEARS without trouble. That's probably why their ***** grow so big over the years and dare to steal hundreds of engines ... and sad thing is the corporate STILL doesn't know until the cops talk to them.

That's just sad.