TWO East Lancashire men have been jailed for over six years following an investigation into organised vehicle crime.

Asif Firfire, 35, and 24-year-old Yasar Latif were part of a gang involved in the theft of high value cars which were then stripped down for parts.

Vehicles – mainly German-manufactured cars – were stolen from across Lancashire, Manchester and West Yorkshire by the gang.

Two vehicles were stolen from Burnley, police said.

Lancashire Constabulary’s Serious and Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) launched an investigation and a raid was carried out at a property in Blackburn, where Firfire and Latif were receiving the stolen cars before dismantling them.

The pair took in approximately 20 vehicles between July 2010 and August 2011.

Appearing at Preston Crown Court Firfire, of Audley Range, Blackburn, was jailed for four years for conspiracy to handle stolen goods. Latif, of Wensley Road, Blackburn, was jailed for 34 months for conspiracy to handle stolen goods.

Detective Sergeant Simon Ingham, of SOCU’s organised vehicle crime team, said: “Other members of the gang would steal the vehicles and then bring them to Firfire and Latif for them to be stripped down into parts which would be easier to sell on.

“At the peak of their operation we believe they were moving a stolen car into Blackburn on a daily basis.

“The sentences that these two men have received highlight that there are serious consequences to getting involved in this kind of criminal activity and should serve as a warning to others that police will do everything it can to catch offenders and put them before the courts.”