Four jailed over bike theft eBay racket

Four men have been jailed for their role in a racket stealing bikes and selling the parts on eBay.

The men were arrested following an 18-month investigation which identified 20 stolen motorcycles worth over £100,000.

Jamie Sadik, 24, James Oliver, 28, Lloyd Smith, 39, and Daniel Setters, 27, all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal.

Sadik was sentenced to 32 months in prison, Oliver 16 months and Smith and Setters 10 months each at Snaresbrook Crown Court.

Smith and Setters were also ordered to do 160 hours community service.

A fifth defendant, Dennis Keating, 44, pleaded guilty to the same offence and received 11 months suspended for 18 months and 180 hours community service.

Police launched a sting operation in June 2010 after a motorcyclist reported seeing parts of his stolen bike for sale on eBay.

An undercover officer responded to the ad and met Setters, who claimed to run a motorcycle parts business, selling an exhaust for £800.

The following week a stolen motorcycle was traced using an onboard tracking device to a lock-up near the address where Setters had sold the exhaust.

Police raided the lock-up, arrested Keating and Oliver and found a hoard of partially dismantled stolen bikes, one with Setter’s fingerprints on it. Officers also recovered the registration plate of the machine from which the exhaust had been removed.   

Sadik was arrested following a bike theft in East London and linked to Oliver. Smith was linked to the sale of parts.

Detective Sergeant Danny Mayhew of Tower Hamlets said: “This complex investigation targeted and disrupted a team who were profiting from the organised theft of high value motorcycles.”