West Yorkshire raid part of operation to recover £500,000-worth of stolen goods
It's part of an investigation into large scale burglaries in the West Midlands and Cheshire.
Last updated 22nd Nov 2020
Police have recovered thousands of stolen goods, after raiding a business unit near Batley.
It's part of an investigation into large-scale burglaries in the West Midlands and Cheshire, which officers believe are linked.
Over half a million pounds-worth of items including stolen toys, collectibles and comics have been recovered after a series of raids.
A 42-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods. He's since been released under investigation.
Many of the items retrieved had been stolen from an industrial unit in Wolverhampton - where they were being stored by an online business which trades worldwide - in September.
Officers say they received intelligence about some of the stolen collectibles being sold online which resulted in them leading a raid on a business unit in West Yorkshire.
DC Emily-Jane Parker, from West Midlands Police CID, said: "We’ve managed to seize and return a huge haul of stolen goods taken during the burglaries.
"We retrieved tens of thousands of boxes packed full of toys and collectibles which would have made hundreds of thousands of pounds if all sold on.
"We believe these were stolen as part of an organised operation which impacted upon not only the West Midlands, but elsewhere in the country.
"We know the financial and emotional impact of being a burglary victim and we’re pleased to have recovered such a substantial amount of ‘hot property.'
"The business owners told us it has returned their livelihoods and we're humbled to have been able to do so - especially given the impact of the pandemic.
"But we won’t let up until we catch and charge those responsible and our enquiries are very much ongoing."