A premium Land Rover Discovery Sport stolen from a British owner has been seized by police deep in Siberia.
The black crossover was located through Interpol and Russian authorities say it will be returned to its rightful owner.
The Land Rover was identified in Irkutsk, when a new “owner” attempted to register the vehicle, which in Britain costs between £43,445 and £57,920.
The traffic police suspected that it had been illegally imported into Russia.
“Being vigilant, police officers initiated an inspection of the vehicle,” the Russian Interior Ministry said in the Irkutsk region, which is more than 5,000 miles from London.
A premium Land Rover Discovery Sport stolen from a British owner has been confiscated by Russian police deep in Siberia
The black crossover was located through Interpol and Russian authorities say it will be returned to its rightful owner.
‘Employees from Interpol’s regional unit confirmed that the car had been stolen from a British resident.
“The UK police authorities launched a criminal case into this incident and the vehicle was declared wanted through Interpol channels.”
The identification numbers on the body and engine matched those of the stolen vehicle, indicating that it was exported by a gang involved in illegal vehicle trafficking.
“Interpol’s cooperation with UK law enforcement is currently being established,” police said.
“The car has been placed under arrest with a view to its subsequent return to the legal owner.”
The Russians gave no details of the original license plate or the British owner.
Irkutsk is five time zones east of the Russian capital, Moscow.
The Land Rover was identified as stolen when a new “owner” attempted to register the vehicle, which in Britain costs between £43,445 and £57,920.
It was found in the city of Irkutsk (File image)
The car was chained to a nearby tree with a sturdy chain and locks similar to those on a chained bicycle.
The Landrover was seen parked on a quiet residential street in London, outside a house.
Range Rovers are notoriously easy to steal, so much so that owners in London now resort to chaining their engines in a bid to prevent theft.
Worried drivers have started chaining their engines to trees to prevent thieves from pinching them after criminals began using keyless car entry to steal vehicles in seconds.
A social media post shows a Land Rover parked on a quiet, tree-lined residential street with a bicycle chain wrapped around a nearby tree and tied to the back of the expensive car.
The heavy-duty chain is slammed around the car and tree at least twice and secured with a large padlock in an attempt to deter thieves.
The high-end brand has been battling a reputation crisis after owners complained their cars were becoming too expensive to insure following a spate of thefts across the country.
