Thieves Steal 21 JAC Utes in Daring Melbourne Heist

A total of 21 brand-new JAC T9 utes have been stolen from a storage yard in Melbourne’s west.

First reported by 9News, thieves used an angle grinder to break the locks on the steel gates, gaining access to the facility, before raiding the office to steal the keys to the fleet of JAC T9s.

A spokesperson for Victoria Police told CarSauce the heist occurred between 2pm on 25 January and 6am on 28 January – the Australia Day long weekend – at the facility in Laverton North.

The JAC utes of varying colours had yet to be registered, and in some cases still had pre-delivery plastic film over the exterior and interior panels.

Despite security patrols and CCTV, the alarm wasn’t raised until staff returned to the near-empty car park on Tuesday.

JAC Motors Australia Managing Director Ahmed Mahmoud told CarSauce the carmaker was working closely with police.

“While this unfortunate event has affected a small portion of our inventory, we have implemented measures to minimise any possible impact to our customers,” Mr Mahmoud told CarSauce.

“We anticipate minimal [delivery] delays in the Melbourne metropolitan area.”

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The four-wheel-drive JAC T9 is one of the latest utes to arrive on the Australian market, launching in 2024 with two variants – the Oases and Haven – both powered by a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine making 120kW and 410Nm, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission with low-range.

Priced from $42,662 to $45,630 before on-road costs, it’s estimated the total value of the stolen utes is as much as $960,000.

Police say investigations are ongoing, and have asked anyone who has information, witnessed the incident, or has dashcam/CCTV footage to contact Crime Stoppers by calling 1800 333 000 or by clicking here.