Seven men have been sentenced after more than £1 million in plant and agricultural machinery was stolen over a three year period.
A total of 46 machines were stolen mainly from across the North West between 2015 and 2018, Lancashire Constabulary said.
The machinery was then sold on to a gang who operated out of an industrial unit in Nelson, Lancashire.
There, the stolen goods were modified to hide their original identification numbers.
The gang in Nelson then sold the agri-machinery on to buyers across Europe, and in some cases as far away as Australia.
The machines were valued between £8,000 and £105,000 each, with the total value thought to be approximately £1.3m.
Those who went on to purchase the machines believed they were buying from legitimate businesses, Lancashire Constabulary said.
They only became aware they had bought stolen goods when the equipment was seized as part of the force's investigation.
"Two buyers lost multiples machines each and in victim impact statements described how they suffered significant financial losses and anxiety about the loss of their professional reputations," Lancashire Constabulary explained.
The members of the gang each played different roles, but all appeared at Preston Crown Court on 7 March 2023 to be sentenced.
Three people including a pair of brothers have been jailed, with four more given suspended sentences, for their roles.
It comes as the police recently urged farmers to mark their possessions following a spate of machinery and equipment thefts.
