Police have broken up an international car theft syndicate after thieves stole and shipped dozens of Toyota Land Cruisers overseas. Thieves took a total of 60 vehicles worth approximately $8 million during the heist.

The authorities arrested seven men as part of the operation. Combined, they face more than 300 offenses for stealing the Toyotas.

According to the Queensland Police in Australia, the car thieves were captured thanks to detectives from the Brisbane Criminal Investigation Branch and the Major and Organised Crime Squad Brisbane (MOCSB). They were supported by the Public Safety Response Team (PSRT), the Brisbane Dog Squad, POLAIR, Brisbane Intel, the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Border Force, and the Victorian Police Vehicle Crime Squad.

“Between 20 October to 1 December, the syndicate allegedly stole 60 vehicles across Brisbane Region,” Queensland Police reported. “It is further alleged the syndicate sent shipping containers with whole vehicles to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for profit.”

How police were able to locate and put an end to the global car theft ring

Police observed two of the alleged stolen Land Cruisers entering a Rocklea wrecking yard on Dec. 2. Police then located a shipping container containing two alleged stolen Land Cruisers hidden behind a facade of disassembled vehicle parts.

Over the following week, authorities seized two more shipping containers from the Port of Brisbane, resulting in the recovery of four more vehicles. On December 12, four more shipping containers were located at the Port of Melbourne. The authorities recovered a total of 15 of the most recently stolen vehicles from the three locations.

“This was an extremely complex operation with a disciplined international syndicate allegedly targeting vehicles for personal gain,” said MOCS Brisbane Detective Acting Inspector Russell Joyce.

A 44-year-old man, a 45-year-old man, a 40-year-old man, and a 29-year-old man each face charges of 60 counts of stealing a vehicle and six counts of attempted vehicle theft. A 31-year-old man faces charges of 32 counts of vehicle theft. A 28-year-old man faces charges of 17 counts of vehicle theft. Additionally, a 40-year-old man faces charges of two counts of vehicle theft. The men are reportedly from Brazil, Fiji, Japan, and Afghanistan.

“Offenses of this nature are brazen and can cause significant disruption to our community’s feeling of safety and ability to travel to work, run errands, take children to school, or meet family and friends,” said South Brisbane District Detective Inspector Paul Dalton.

“This investigation was a top priority for local detectives to prevent further harm, hold the alleged offenders to account, and provide answers for victims.”