The port of Dublin has been playing a part in an international smuggling ring in which tens of thousands of stolen Japanese cars are being imported into Britain and sold as legitimate vehicles, according to TV programme to be screened tonight.
The scam is exposed on by the BBC's Watchdogteam on a BBC1 television programme called 'The Biggest Car Fraud In The World' (7.30 p.m. tonight).
Cars such as Toyota Landcruisers, Honda NSX’s and Lexus 400’s are stolen in Japan and shipped to Dubai where they are given false papers and new identities.
In addition several thousand of the cars are said to have then entered Britain through Dublin in containers where they are then registered before being driven to Northern Ireland and then taken across to mainland Britain.
According to the show's presenter Mr Quentin Willson, speaking on RTÉ Radio this morning, gardai have since stopped the flow of vehicles, though a garda spokesperson told ireland.comthey were unaware of any such story.
British police estimate that tens of thousands of stolen Japanese cars could be on the roads and say they are poised to swoop and restore them to their rightful owners leaving those who have purchased them without a car and out of pocket.
The BBC estimates the crime will eventually cost thousands of British motorists well over a £1 billion sterling.