Upon first inspection, the red shipping container sitting in an Essex storage site would have looked unremarkable but the police officers who opened it up knew better. Acting on a tip, they emptied out stacks of bicycles and white goods to reveal the real, hidden cargo: three stolen Range Rovers, wrapped up in mattresses and rugs, worth a combined £170,000. More have followed since that discovery in June 2022 and the tempo is increasing. Other discoveries include: Bentley, Audi and Toyota cars worth £250,000 sandwiched into a container together; a £300,000 Rolls-Royce Dawn, nestled among the remains of 13 other chopped up cars; and high-end Lexus Saloons stacked like cards on top of one another. Last year, Essex Police’s stolen vehicle intelligence unit intercepted more than 60 containers like this before they were exported, carrying 240 cars worth around £13m. They are almost always disguised under false papers and usually headed for destinations in the Middle East, Africa or Asia, fuelling a lucrative trade in luxury cars and parts that organised criminals are only too pleased to facilitate. Why the recent upsurge? At least part of the answer is thought to lie in the conflict raging 1,000 miles away in...