Police probe V8 thefts at Holden

A PARTS theft racket at Holden’s Elizabeth factory in Adelaide is being investigated by South Australian police.

GM Holden corporate affairs manager for South Australia and Western Australia Sean Poppitt today confirmed that Holden was assisting police with an investigation into component thefts from the factory.

He said that, because the case was on-going, he could say no more until the investigation was concluded.

News Limited at the weekend reported that more than $2.5 million in V8 engines and transmissions had been stolen from the plant and sold through car clubs and on Ebay.

The report said the probe had started in January after Elizabeth detectives uncovered a stolen V8 engine during an unrelated inquiry, and appeared to point to an inside job.

Several more engines have been recovered in the investigation – codenamed Echidna – which has spread interstate, the report said.

Holden’s 6.0-litre V8 engines and transmissions are imported from North America to be fitted to Holden Commodore SS, Caprice and Chevrolet Caprice PPV cars.

The 270kW engines and six-speed transmissions would be highly saleable items on the black market, prized by Commodore owners wanting to give their car a heart transplant.

GoAuto understands that police have had difficulty determining the scale of the thefts, which appear to have been going on for some time.