A GANG which stole luxury cars from outside homes as the owners slept have been jailed.

Irfan Razzak, 26, of Lea Bridge Road, Walthamstow, Shiraz Khan, 29, of Boundary Road, Walthamstow, Irfan Ali, 28, of Melbourne Road, Leyton, Waqas Zaman, 24, of Purleigh Avenue, Woodford Green, and three others were jailed for a total of 14 years at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday (October 14).

The gang stole 70 cars from addresses across London and the south east.

They obtained the logbooks of cars which had been exported from the UK without the DVLA being notified.

Members then targeted the same models by breaking into homes and stealing keys as the owners slept.

The stolen cars would then be given the paperwork of exported vehicles and sold on to unsuspecting buyers.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Fuller, who led the investigation, said: “The defendants in these cases caused considerable distress to a large number of victims – not only those whose homes were invaded whilst they slept upstairs but also the individuals who innocently purchased a stolen, rung vehicle only to later have it seized by the police and find themselves out of pocket by thousands of pounds.

“The unit will continue to relentlessly identify and target organised criminal networks who steal and seek to dispose of stolen vehicles, and will use all means available to secure the evidence to convict them and dismantle their criminal lifestyles.”