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Viknesh Vijayenthiran

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Vik is an Editor at High Gear Media and contributor for a number of sites within the High Gear Media network. He was a co-founder of... More

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2012 BMW 6-Series Convertible

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Here’s something you don’t see every day in the auto industry. A group of corrupt BMW factory workers at one of the automaker’s plants in Munich, Germany is accused of stealing almost $4 million worth of parts and then profiting by selling them online.

Nearly 18 people were allegedly involved in the racket, with two of the accused being employed by BMW for the past several years and one that worked as a contractor for the automaker. Those three main suspects are currently on remand and are facing charges of theft, handling stolen goods and deception.

The items believed to be stolen include everything from blank keys to wheel covers to gear sticks, and even car seats. The latter was apparently the big earner for the group.

How do prosecutors say it happened? Fake orders were thought to be made for the components, which were then stolen after being pulled from production on the pretense of quality control. The racket was first identified by BMW’s own internal investigators before the matter was handed to local police.

[Daily Mail]