Van thieves kept apart

Brendan Matthew Cooper. Photo / Supplied

Two men who admitted stealing dozens of vans and stripping them for parts were stopped from holding a civil union in prison, days before their sentencing.

Brendan Matthew Cooper, a 40-year-old unemployed mechanic, and his 30-year-old de facto partner Mohammed Salim Sahib, are due to be sentenced in the Auckland District Court on Tuesday.

Cooper and Sahib, an illegal immigrant, were convicted of stealing vehicles worth more than $200,000 over a two-year period.

The Corrections Department stepped in on Thursday to stop their civil ceremony after the national office became aware of the plans.

"The circumstances relating to the legal status of one of the participants meant that it should not have been approved," said prison services acting general manager Leanne Field.

"In deciding to cancel the event, we consulted with other agencies, including Immigration New Zealand."

Immigration New Zealand would not confirm Sahib's status for privacy reasons, but the police summary of facts said he was in New Zealand illegally, and was to be served with a removal order.

Police said the pair's activities were part of a wave of car thefts that saw more than 15,000 vehicles stolen in Auckland in 18 months.

Toyota vans, including Hiace and Light vans, many more than 20 years old, were being targeted. Police said the stolen vehicles were cut up and sold to wrecker's yards, with parts shipped to places including the United Arab Emirates, Iran and the Pacific Islands.

According to the current summary of facts, police began covert surveillance of the offenders' home in Panmure in May, photographing the vans being driven into a workshop and leaving with false plates.

The pair were arrested in June when police carried out a search warrant and found them asleep in bed at the house.

The search also found a "considerable amount" of camping gear and backpacker's rental agreements, leading police to believe tourists' camper vans were being targeted.

Cooper told police he had stolen so many vans he couldn't remember them all.

"Cooper admitted that he funded his lifestyle by stealing these vehicles, he admitted to being a methamphetamine user and stated that he had no choice but to commit crime to survive," the summary said.

Sahib said he and Cooper had been stealing one van a week for less than two years in order to fund their drug habit.

Cooper entered guilty pleas on November 12 to 50 counts of theft, relating to vehicles worth a total of $183,650. Sahib admitted to 15 counts, relating to vehicles worth $37,600.