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The police are searching for at least three thieves responsible for stealing thousands of Xbox 360 game consoles

Around $1.9M USD worth of Microsoft Xbox 360 game consoles have been stolen from a U.K. depot center located in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England.  An initial shipment of consoles worth $1.4M  USD was stolen from a depot center.  Police later revealed that there was another theft on Thursday morning after two vehicles flagged down a truck that was carrying around $500,000 worth of Xbox consoles. 

According to U.K. police, At least three men, believed to be driving a Range Rover and Rover Saloon, were involved with the truck jacking.  Police have successfully recovered the stolen truck.  An investigation is underway to see if the two thefts are related.  

Police believe the consoles are being stolen so that they can be sold on the black market for the Christmas holiday shopping season.  The Xbox 360 retails from $386 to $579 in the UK and is a top choice for consumers, according to The Times of London.

The police have made statements to the public warning them that anyone purchasing stolen consoles could find that their warranty is no longer valid.  Also, the Staffordshire police department put out the following statement to viewers in the UK: "We are appealing for information from anyone who is offered games in suspicious circumstances, such as in a pub, at a car boot sale or off the back of a lorry."

Approximately 4,000 consoles were stolen in the heist by rough estimates.

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That's a whole lotta XBox
By GaryJohnson on 11/26/2006 12:49:31 AM , Rating: 4
4,000 consoles = about 15.4 Tons (14.0t) of XBox?




RE: That's a whole lotta XBox
By Frank M on 11/26/2006 12:21:05 PM , Rating: 5
I foresee a WOOT.com special.


RE: That's a whole lotta XBox
By Russell on 11/26/2006 2:20:11 PM , Rating: 3
lol!

You, sir, just make my morning.


RE: That's a whole lotta XBox
By SunAngel on 11/26/2006 7:54:50 PM , Rating: 3
Awesome post dude! Keep up the good humor.


Coming Soon
By Merry on 11/26/2006 10:31:49 AM , Rating: 2
To Liverpool Market... </humour>

Seriously, though, I doubt many of these will find their way onto ebay, its most likely that they'll sell them in Pubs, or in private ads and such, to avoid suspicion.




RE: Coming Soon
By Eldercat1 on 11/26/2006 12:39:56 PM , Rating: 2
I am not being sarcastic. Are there a lot of electronic sales in Pubs over there? Or do you mean posting on a bulletin board in a Pub? I can't imagine going to a bar in Texas and someone offering me an Xbox360.


RE: Coming Soon
By Merry on 11/26/2006 12:45:45 PM , Rating: 2
No i literally mean in a pub. Guy goes 'I've got a few Xbox360s in the van you want any?'. These people generally know each other, i.e the person buying them usually has a small shop or market stall or something, so they can shift the 'goods'. It makes sense really because it increases the distance between the thieves and the consumer, making it harder for the police to catch them.


RE: Coming Soon
By Combatcolin on 11/26/2006 7:00:48 PM , Rating: 2
EAST LONDON PUB - COKENEY ACCENT

"eer, mate, got some gear from this russian geezer who whats it shifted sharpish"

"What is it mate?, might be intrested?"

"Surplus Hunter Killer Submarines, almost brand new mate, still 'ave the torpedoes in em"

"Nice, how much?"

In the right London pub you can buy anything made by man, and its all fallen off the back off a lorry.

:)


Sounds like an inside job
By Christopher1 on 11/26/2006 6:19:08 PM , Rating: 2
This seriously sounds like an inside job. Otherwise, how would the thieves have known that the XBox360's were on that specific truck?

They could have just gotten exceptionally lucky, but I'm not one to believe in that big of a coincidence.




RE: Sounds like an inside job
By AxemanFU on 11/27/2006 10:40:24 AM , Rating: 2
MAybe there was a big "Intel Inside" sticker on the truck ;)


RE: Sounds like an inside job
By Slaimus on 11/27/2006 11:09:27 AM , Rating: 2
It's a "lorry" not a truck, at least type proper English, not American :)


any leeway?
By soydeedo on 11/26/2006 1:25:39 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
The police have made statements to the public warning them that anyone purchasing stolen consoles could find that their warranty is no longer valid.
well i hope they offer leeway on a case by case basis so that people who've been duped via ebay don't get shortchanged out of a warranty. i'm guessing, though, that this statement was issued more as a deterrent for people planning to purchase the stolen consoles by other means where the customer knows the origins of the system are dubious.




RE: any leeway?
By ossian on 11/26/2006 6:18:42 AM , Rating: 2
In the UK it is illegal to receive stolen goods if you know or believe them to be stolen (in England this is under the Handling Stolen Goods - Section 22 Theft Act 1968) "Examples when a charge of handling stolen goods would be appropriate:

* When the accused buys goods in a public house at an absurdly low price and the origin of the property has been disguised by obscuring or removing and identification mark or serial number;"

So the law does allow for people innocently buying but doesn't allow you to "turn a blind eye" when something is obviously stolen. Also if after buying you discover that the Xbox (or goods) is stolen then it is a crime to sell the item to someone else.

The laws are fair and reasonably balanced.


Just a thought..
By SprintSlash on 11/26/2006 10:07:21 AM , Rating: 3
Do they work for Amazon?




Prime suspects....
By MDme on 11/26/2006 12:43:11 AM , Rating: 2
According to U.K. police, At least three men , believed to be driving a Range Rover and Rover Saloon, were involved with the truck jacking. Police have successfully recovered the stolen truck. An investigation is underway to see if the two thefts are related.

prime suspects: Kaz Hirai, Phil Harrison, and Ken Kutaragi

(just for some laughs)




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