A major police operation has targeted criminal suspects believed to be involved in a highly-profitable car scam operating out of Bradford.

Twenty suspected burglars have been arrested, 40 stolen vehicles or parts of vehicles have been recovered and two quad bikes have been seized as part of Operation Larkwood.

Eleven suspects have been charged with conspiracy to commit burglaries between November 2008 and February 2010. Another suspect has been charged with drug offences and the remaining eight have been bailed pending further enquiries.

After 18 months of information gathering, detectives executed search warrants at 30 residential and business premises in a series of planned swoops over three days to seize evidence and arrest suspects.

Police understand that at least 20 people have been involved with stealing expensive cars to order by breaking into people’s homes and stealing their keys at addresses in Bradford and neighbouring districts.

Detectives believe Bradford is where the cars have been stashed, resold or dismantled into parts that have then been sold for unscrupulous financial gain.

It is feared that members of the public have innocently bought stolen cars from those involved in the conspiracy.

During one of the raids, a team of police officers closed in on a terraced house in Great Horton at around 7.40am on Wednesday.

After being summoned to move in by plain-clothed officers in unmarked surveillance vehicles, the team rammed open the back door of the house and captured their first suspect.

A 28-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit burglary and was led away to be quizzed in police custody.

Many of the raids that followed focused on garages in the Great Horton and Lidget Green areas of inner-city Bradford. Nine other arrests took place on the first day of the high-impact sting.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark McManus, who led the joint-operation between Bradford South Police and West Yorkshire Police’s Crime Division and Operational Support Unit, with help from the DVLA, said he suspected hundreds of cars had been stolen by the group.

He said: “It’s a well-organised crime group who are going out and specifically targeting high-value cars, breaking into houses to get keys, usually at night, and coming back into Bradford where an organised group dismantle parts and sell them on, or change their identification and sell them on to unsuspecting members of public.

“Hopefully with the positive action we are taking it will stop this market and reduce the number of burglaries happening across West Yorkshire.

“Some offences are taking place in Bradford and others in neighbouring authorities such as Leeds, Huddersfield and Calderdale. These burglars are being paid to go out and get the cars and they are resold for significant profits.

“People are making a living off the proceeds of crime and part of this operation will be to strip them of any assets they have acquired through their criminal activities.”

He said police expected to carry out more raids and make more arrests as the conspiracy unravels in the coming months.