July 14, 2021 2.13 pm This story is over 32 months old

Six Boston men jailed for part in £2.4m vehicle theft gang

The gang was responsible for 57 car thefts
These six men from Boston were jailed after 57 keyless vehicle thefts across 10 different force areas. | Photo: Leicestershire Police
By Local Democracy Reporter

Seven men have been jailed for over 30 years collectively as part of a crime gang which stole around £2.4 million worth of vehicles.

The organised crime gang were involved in more than 50 keyless thefts of BMWs, Range Rovers and Mercedes AMGs, worth between £20,000 and £130,000 each.

The offences were committed across a number of different police force areas, with six of the seven men hailing from Boston, but it was Leicestershire Police who carried out the investigation.

The men would target and steal the cars in the early hours of the morning, before driving them away to be stripped down for parts to be sold online or shipped out of the UK via ferry.

The gang was caught on February 18, 2019, when officers were called to a report of three Range Rovers being stolen in the Oakham area of Rutland, leading to one of the defendants, Juozas Paulaskas, 30, of Smalley Road, Boston, being arrested.

Other members were then identified after further enquiries and analysis of CCTV footage, and eventually all seven men were arrested and kept in custody.

In total, 57 vehicle thefts across ten police force areas were proven to have been attributed to the gang, but their scope is expected to be much larger than this.

A total of 409 exhibits and 61 digital devices were examined during police investigations, and now the force have their targets behind bars.

The seven men are:

Valdas Bajorinas, 35, of Guildenburgh Crescent, Whittlesey, near Peterborough

Valdas Bajorinas, 35. | Photo: Leicestershire Police

Often identified as the “boss” of the group, police recovered messages that showed his involvement in organising and training people to be involved in crime. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal and concealing criminal property, and was sentenced to seven years and two months in jail.

Juozas Paulaskas, 30, of Smalley Road, Boston, Lincolnshire

Juozas Paulaskas, 30. | Photo: Leicestershire Police

Police believed this man to be a key player in the gang’s organising and involvement in thefts. He was responsible for employing, paying and overseeing people, as well as identifying target vehicles. He too pleaded guilty to the same charged as Bajorinas, and was sentenced to six years and four months.

Edgaras Balcinas, 29, of Burrows Close, Boston

Edgaras Balcinas, 29. | Photo: Leicestershire Police

Operating at a similar level to Paulaskas, his guilty plea of conspiracy to steal landed him a four years and two months sentence.

Gintaulas Kancevicius, 51, of Church Green Close, Fishtoft, Boston

Gintaulas Kancevicius, 51. | Photo: Leicestershire Police

He rented units where vehicles would be stripped into parts. It was three years and ten months for him as he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal and concealing criminal property.

Jonas Steponavicius, 22, of Blue Street, Boston

Jonas Steponavicius, 22. | Photo: Leicestershire Police

Police found him responsible of driving vehicles that had been stolen. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal and going equipped to steal. Two years and eight months for him.

Oleg Suchovcov, 27, of Smalley Road, Boston

Oleg Suchovcov, 27. | Photo: Leicestershire Police

One of the men responsible for breaking the stolen vehicles down into parts. His sentence was three and a half years after pleading guilty to concealing criminal property.

Justas Urbanavicius, 21, of Powell Street, Boston

Justas Urbanavicius, 21. | Photo: Leicestershire Police

The youngest of the seven, he along with Suchovcov was responsible for getting the parts from cars. It was two and a half years behind bars for him.