CUNNING CAR BANDITS.

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 310, 17 October 1929, Page 1

CUNNING CAR BANDITS.

SCOTLAND YARD ACTIVITY Mystery Car Captured. Like the mystery ships of the war cars used by the up-to-date thieves in London may not be what they seem. Under a rugged old exterior is, perhaps, the power of a racer.

Such a car came into the possession of the police recently, and when Scotland Yard had finished their examination they knew a good deal more of the ways of our motor bandits.

This car looked to be aged and worth about £lO, but the engine was modern and capable of a speed of 60 miles per hour. Mechanical devices permitted (1) a change of the last number on the plates without the driver leaving the seat; (2) a quick change of bonnet, so as to alter the appearance of the whole car. The car is not believed to have been concerned in any recent raids and it came to the police in connection with a charge of a different character, but it is thought to have a history, and that is being inquired into.

Thanks to the ingenuity and perseverance of one of its officers, Scotland Yard believes that it has at last got to grips with the car bandits who have been terrorising the suburbs of London.

During one recent week 12 arrests were made by Superintendent G. Cornish, with the assistance of Divisional Detective Inspector Pride, who were satisfied that the principals of an important criminal organisation had been seized.

Observation was kept on various centres without result, until one day attention was attracted by an inno-cent-looking suburban residence, semi-detached, and boasting a garage. For days the occupier had driven the same motor car. Then he emerged from his garage in a strange car. A car, in fact, entirely different in appearance from any that had ever been seen entering it.

He was “ shadowed ” his associates traced and shadowed in turn, and thus was discovered the existence of a gang, ringing the metropolis, who, in the guise of ordinary residents of a pleasant suburban area, used their garages for disguising stolen motor cars in preparation for raids.

The occupiers of all these inno-cent-looking houses and garages have all been arrested, and Scotland Yard is now endeavouring to get in touch with the owners of the various stolen motor cars they have recovered. When these have been traced, Scotland Yard, it is stated, will have a complete chain of evidence which will curb the. activities of the bandits for some time to come.

Meanwhile, Lord Byng is adopting other measures to cope with the raiders. All the drivers at headquarters are undergoing intensive training in knowledge of all the approaches and exits to and from London.

In addition, Lord Byng intends to improve the quality of the Scotland Yard cars so that the bandit will have no advantage in the matter of speed.