Left to right: Dennis Connor; Matthew Napper; Matther Taylor; Jason Smith; John P. O’Byrne

The IAATI Award of Merit was created in 1992 to honor a person, group, department or company for outstanding contribution in the area of vehicle theft investigation or prevention. This year’s committee was comprised of IAATI members Barb Rambo, Bill Skinner and Denny Roske and it found itself voting on 6 great submissions. The 2012 winner of the Award of Merit is the New South Wales (Australia) Police Force for “Operation Burindi”.

In May, 2010 the New South Wales Police Force began investigating a sophisticated organized criminal motor vehicle re-birthing syndicate which operated out of southwest metropolitan Sydney with impacts nationally and internationally. Shortly after, Strike Force Burindi was formally established combining the efforts of the New South Wales Police Force Property Crime Squad, State Crime Command, and Australian Customs, & Border Protection Service.

The investigation continued as the strike force conducted numerous search warrants, gathering additional information on stolen vehicles, and identifying suspects. It was learned that some vehicles and vehicle parts were being shipped to Beirut, Lebanon. A search warrant was executed on a shipping container that was on a ship in Port Melbourne, Victoria. Discovered in the container were 15 tons of stolen vehicles and parts. Many stolen vehicles had been re-birthed and sold to innocent purchasers. Over the next 20 months Strike Force Burindi recovered 61 stolen vehicles with a value of over $3,000,000, arrested 6 individuals and issued 1 arrest warrant for a person who fled to Lebanon.

Strike Force Burindi also illustrated the importance of liaising and combining forces with other agencies in the pursuit of organized crime syndicates.

Present to accept the award at IAATI’s 60th Annual Seminar in Kansas City, Missouri were Detective Senior Constables Matthew Napper and Matthew Taylor.

IAATI and the Award of Merit Committee congratulate the New South Wales Police Force on this successful investigation. They are very deserving of IAATI’s Award of Merit for 2012.