Stolen cars Cairns: Police seek info on illegal parts trade for four-wheel-drives

The skyrocketing cost of used car parts has spurred a black market trade for Cairns thieves. What vehicles are in demand.

THE skyrocketing cost of used four-wheel-drive parts has spurred a black market trade in ripped off replacement parts, amid a police call for information on stolen car chop shops understood to be operating on the Atherton Tablelands.

While the majority of the 798 vehicles stolen between Gordonvale and Palm Cove to date this year are recovered, it’s estimated up to 100 in-demand late model off-road vehicles stolen in the Cairns and Townsville area remain outstanding.

It’s understood stolen cars are taken to isolated Tableland properties on the back of a screened flatbed truck before the vehicles are sent to Brisbane and stripped for parts.

Veteran Cairns-based motor industry professional Rick Lee said international demand for used engines and mechanical parts was a significant factor in the surging second-hand demand.

“You have all these traders from Afghanistan and the Arab countries coming here and taking all the engines and mechanicals and sending them overseas, that’s stripping our market,” he said.

Alleged thieves caught on camera in Brinsmead earlier this year. Picture: Supplied

“We are in the four-wheel-drive capital of Australia, there is always demand for four-wheel-drive parts and the prices are absolutely stupid, it’s ridiculous.

“Where we sold a LandCruiser engine for $3000 a couple of years ago and now $5500, it’s ridiculous.”

Last week a peak stolen car rate of 782 vehicles was hit in the Cairns area, to equal a previous record set in 2021 with four months of the year still remaining.

Alleged car thieves in a Toyota HiLux do burnouts and run a red light outside Pillow Talk on McCoombe St in Bungalow.

A stolen 200 series Toyota LandCruiser belonging to a New South Wales family on holiday in Cairns last week was another recently stolen in-demand vehicle that last week remained unrecovered by police.

Detective Inspector Kevin Goan couldn’t reveal details of the trade or if a police task-force had been actioned to look into an underworld car parts trade but did call on anyone with knowledge of the illegal activity to come forward.

Cairns crims pose up in front of a stolen Toyota LandCruiser.

“What I can say is that if anyone does have information in relation to vehicles being rediverted elsewhere or being cut up for use in some sort of nefarious trade of parts, then I’d ask them to reach out to the police and tell us what they know,” he said.

Otherwise details could be provided to Crimestoppers anonymously, he said.

Amid skyrocketing car theft rates Cairns police remind all vehicle owners to keep car keys out of sight and review their current security practices and seek further information from the Queensland Police website with regard to home and vehicle security.

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Originally published as Stolen cars Cairns: Police seek info on illegal parts trade for four-wheel-drives