Ahmad Zahir Safdari accused of involvement in international ring stealing and selling Toyota LandCruisers

A man accused of involvement in a global ring shipping stolen cars overseas has been named in court as prosecutors say the cross-country investigation is “ongoing”. Ahmad Zahir Safdari, 27, briefly appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday morning, a week after investigators from the vehicle crime squad charged him with offences including conspiracy to commit theft, car theft, and handling stolen goods. Police allege he was involved in a crime syndicate that stole “high-end Toyotas” to sell them in the United Arab Emirates. It’s alleged members of the ring were able to bypass the vehicles’ security by accessing the on-board computers through the car’s wiring. It’s alleged Mr Safdari used a business in Cranbourne West, in Melbourne’s southeast, to pack stolen vehicles into shipping containers for export. “Investigators believe the companies moving the shipping containers were doing so without the knowledge of what was inside,” a Victoria Police spokesman said. Police believe more than 150 cars, valued at more than $20m, were allegedly stolen in Victoria before the ring relocated to Queensland where 60 more cars were stolen. Mr Safdari was arrested last Thursday as police raided properties in Doveton and Seaford where three cars, electronic devices and business records were seized. According to charges sheets, it’s alleged Mr Safdari stole 46 Toyota LandCruisers between August 4 and September 9 last year. In court, prosecutor Luke Rossi said police required 10 weeks to prepare their case against Mr Safdari, noting this was an “ongoing investigation involving multiple agencies across the country”. This was not opposed by Mr Safdari’s lawyer Tom Isaacs and the accused man’s bail was extended until July 9. Announcing Mr Safdari’s arrest last week, Detective Acting Inspector Amanda Cohen said it would be alleged the syndicate was “brazen and highly sophisticated” and “solely motivated by greed”. “The vehicle crime squad will continue to target those contributing to organised motor vehicle crime in Victoria and shut down any illegal activity of this nature,” she said.