Eight metro Detroit men are accused in a sophisticated theft and international smuggling operation that targeted higher-end vehicles and spanned two years, according to federal prosecutors in Detroit.

An indictment against the Wayne County men was unsealed Sept. 4 in U.S. District Court in Detroit.

The types of stolen vehicles mentioned in the indictment included BMW X5, Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Bronco, Range Rover, Dodge Ram, Ford Mustang, Ford F-150 and Dodge Durango. Stolen vehicles were transported from Michigan to New Jersey, according to the indictment.

The men are accused of conspiring with each other and others to receive stolen vehicles at one of four commercial or industrial lots from July 2023 through August 2025, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office. The lots were in Detroit, one each on Greenfield Road, Fullerton Avenue, Tireman Avenue and Nelson Street.

It indicated that conspirators would pack two or more vehicles from the lots into shipping containers, which would then be sent to port cities via freight lines or rail. The containers with vehicles would ship overseas if not intercepted by law enforcement, according to federal prosecutors.

Matthew Stentz, acting special agent in charge of ICE's Homeland Security Investigations in Detroit, said more than 350 stolen vehicles were recovered.

"This case hits even closer to home in a state like Michigan, where auto theft doesn't just hurt our wallets, but our culture," Stentz said in the release. "Our HSI special agents and law enforcement partners will continue to do the work necessary to take down these operations that harm everyday Americans."

Federal prosecutors said Dearborn Police initiated the investigation, which also involved U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations with help from Customs and Border Protection, the FBI and other local, regional and federal law enforcement agencies.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Detroit identified those charged as Haydar Al Haydari, 41, of Garden City; David Roshinsky Williams, 32, of Harper Woods; Abbas Al Othman, 42, and Moustapha Al Fetlawi, 46, both of Dearborn Heights, and Karar Alnakash, 43; Mohammed Al Hilo, 36; Terrill Davis, 33, and Mohammed Al Abboodi, 35, all of Detroit.

Each is charged with one count of conspiracy to transport stolen vehicles, and each also faces one or more counts of transportation of a stolen vehicle, according to the news release. No attorneys were listed for the men in court records.

According to the indictment, Williams and Davis were brokers of stolen cars and the other six men were smugglers who shipped them and/or automotive parts across state lines or overseas.

"Car thieves and brokers worked together to identify cars of interest to the smugglers. A broker, acting as a middleman, would inform the smuggler what stolen cars were available, usually high-end vehicles," according to the indictment. "The broker and the smuggler would then negotiate a price for the stolen vehicle, which would be well below the car's fair market value." The smugglers' goal, it indicated, was to ship and sell the stolen vehicles overseas, often to customers in the Middle East.

They used vessel lines and freight-forwarding agents, who help shippers (in this case, the smugglers) by delivering a shipping container for packing, according to the court filing. The shipper provided the freight forwarder with information about the shipment, including contents, value, destination and recipient, according to the document.

It indicated the freight forwarder arranged for the shipment of the packed container, filed necessary documents with companies transporting the shipment and a shipping manifest with Customs and Border Protection.

In this case, the smugglers are accused of providing false information to the freight forwarder, causing false manifests with Customs and Border Protection. The manifests reported the items to be exported were nonautomotive products, auto parts or cars other than the actual cars inside the container.

"The smugglers coordinated the precise arrival of stolen cars with the presence of shipping containers in order to avoid stolen cars being exposed to public view for long periods of time," according to the indictment. "Oftentimes, the brokers escorted the car thieves and the stolen vehicles to the lot. Either upon delivery or shortly after delivery, the smugglers would pay the brokers (or the thieves directly) for the stolen vehicles."

The men each face up to five years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine if convicted on the conspiracy charge and up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted on the transportation of stolen motor vehicles charge, according to the federal prosecutor's release.

Federal authorities are asking that anyone with information relevant to the case contact Homeland Security Investigations at HSIDetroit_StolenAuto_Tipline@hsi.dhs.gov.

Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on X: @challreporter.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit car theft ring indicted: More than 350 stolen cars recovered in smuggling bust

Reporting by Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press

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