Gang jailed for stealing 40 vehicles using relay device technology

Five men have been convicted of conspiracy to steal vehicles in a coordinated operation that targeted the Lancashire and Merseyside region between January and November last year.

The gang used relay devices to bypass modern vehicle security, stealing cars, vans and motorbikes from Wrightington, Skelmersdale, Ormskirk, Burscough, Liverpool and Southport.

Once taken, the vehicles were either concealed in remote locations or had their tracking devices disabled to prevent recovery.

One incident in particular demonstrated the brazen nature of the operation. A Jaguar E Pace stolen from Skelmersdale in June 2025 was spotted three days later on cloned registration plates, leading to a police pursuit.

Officers abandoned the chase after the vehicle went the wrong way round a roundabout, with the risk to public safety judged too high.

The driver, Jason Miller, later boasted about the incident in a Snapchat group conversation on his phone—a detail that would prove crucial to the investigation.

Following arrests, mobile phone analysis yielded messages between the gang members that helped prosecutors build their case. All five men appeared at Preston Crown Court, where they pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal.

James Miller, 23, of Langtree, Skelmersdale, received three years and eight months. He also admitted supplying cannabis and ketamine. James McKeown, 23, of Snowdrop Street, Liverpool, received an identical sentence; he additionally pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and handling stolen goods.

Ryan McNair, 39, of Willow Hey, Skelmersdale, was sentenced to three years and two months. Thomas Fleming, 26, of Moorgate, Ormskirk, received two years and two months after also pleading guilty to supplying cannabis.

Jason Miller, 24, of Inglewhite, Skelmersdale, was jailed for one year and ten months. He also pleaded guilty to dangerous driving.