Over the past month, at least eighty vacationers whose cars were parked at Heathrow Airport by a meet-and-greet company and for which they paid up to £145 had their vehicles stolen.
Met Police told MailOnline that a 25-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of theft after approximately 70 stolen vehicles were recovered.
The travelers reportedly left their vehicles with an airport-based third-party valet service, but their vehicles were never returned.
Reportedly, some of the stolen vehicles were discovered in a field around 15 miles away in Chertsey, Surrey.
Officers are attempting to return recovered automobiles to their rightful owners while they continue their investigation into the thefts, which includes efforts to find any remaining vehicles.
The Sun stated that the travelers paid £145 each to park their vehicles with the meet-and-greet company Terminal Universal Ltd.
One victim, a 39-year-old woman from Cardiff, told the newspaper that her family was forced to spend £100 on a train ticket home because ‘there was nothing we could do’ after they were unable to reclaim the vehicle from the firm.
Terminal Universal Ltd lacks a website and publicly accessible contact information. The company is also recorded as “dissolved” in the Companies House database maintained by the government.
Multiple alleged victims have claimed on Facebook that they reserved the valet service using the web business Ezybook.
One victim asserts that each time she contacted Ezybook for the status of her vehicle, the “operator gave me a different company name.”
She was allegedly provided the contact information for five businesses handling her reservation, including Terminal Universal Ltd. It is unknown whether all companies are contacted.
Met Police did not identify the company engaged in the investigation. Ezybook has been contacted by MailOnline for comment.
There are official meet-and-greet operators at Heathrow Airport, and passengers are urged to utilize them.
Customers who choose to use third-party valet services are advised by a Heathrow spokesperson to look for positive reviews on Trustpilot or other reputable review sites; ensure the company has full, clear contact details – not just a mobile number – listed on its website; a Companies House Number, VAT Number, and registered company address on their website; and the Buy With Confidence accreditation from Trading Standards.
ARE YOU A TERMINAL UNIVERSAL LTD CUSTOMER AFFECTED BY THEFT? Please send an email to tips@dailymail.com and natasha.anderson@mailonline.com.
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