State county and local police are trying to bust a high-end vehicle theft ring in New Jersey, and if your car was stolen this year in Monmouth County, there's a good chance it may have been shipped to Brazil.

More than 180 luxury cars were swiped out of driveways this year alone in the county, an increase of 64% over last year, and to stop it, police say simply lock it up and take the fobs out. 

“What’s linking all of this together is pure and unadulterated negligence by the owners of these cars,” says Monmouth County Prosecutor Chris Gramiccioni.

The motive is to grab luxury vehicles from upper-class neighborhoods in towns such as Deal, Rumson, Holmdel, Wall and Ocean townships, and take them back north to Essex County, chop them up for parts, or sell them on the foreign black market.

“Most recently we had several pursuits in the last week or so, one of which culminated in an apprehension early Sunday morning, Oct. 18,” says Chief Crag Weber, of the Middletown Police Department. According to police, gang ringleaders are sending juveniles to the shore area and their mission is to bring four vehicles back to the ringleaders.

“Literally, it's like shopping,” says Monmouth County Chief of Detectives John McCabe. “They drive down the street. Some of these cars, the mirrors are left open, is an indication the vehicle is open, the bad guys go up to the vehicle, open the door, push the button and if the car starts, the fob is in the vehicle, and they drive away with the vehicle.” 

The stolen vehicles are then driven back north. Some are used in violent crimes, some stripped for parts, while others end up on a barge overseas, where values are triple of what they are in the U.S. Police say they've traced stolen vehicles all the way to Brazil, sent on barges from North Jersey ports.

According to data, Monmouth County now has the third highest luxury vehicle theft in the state, with numbers this year already surpassing the numbers in 2019.  

Police say the thefts come in waves. One town will usually be targeted per night, most often between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.