When U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at the Port of Los Angeles opened a shipping container bound for the Netherlands, they discovered a 1965 Volkswagen bus stolen in Washington state 35 years ago.Far out, man!The unusual seizure of the bus on Oct. 19 came during a routine inspection of several Volkswagens that were being shipped by an Arizona restorer to customers in Europe. The vehicle identification number of the bus, which was swiped in Spokane on July 12, 1974, was still in police computers."Pretty amazing, isn't it?" customs spokesman Jaime Ruiz said Thursday when the find was announced.The restorer, who was not identified, isn't a suspect in the long-ago theft, authorities said."He's a victim himself. He was an innocent purchaser," said Mike Maleta, an investigator with the California Highway Patrol, who will attempt to trace the vehicle's ownership back through interviews and registration documents."I'm going to try my best to find the crook," he said.Groovy.Maleta said Spokane police couldn't find the owner."Allstate paid her $2,500 or so to settle the claim," he said. "Now it's worth $25,000. . . . It's in pristine condition. It looks like it's brand new. So Allstate wanted it."Bummer.
A 1965 Volkswagen minibus that was stolen in 1974 has been recovered by customs agents in Los Angeles.  The vintage minibus was in pristine condition, valued at $25,000, and was found during a routine inspection of a shipping container scheduled for departure to The Netherlands.  A routine computer database search on its vehicle identification number flagged it as having been stolen from a vehicle upholstery shop in Spokane, Washington on July 12, 1974.  A custom restoration business in Arizona was attempting to deliver it to overseas clients last month when authorities intercepted the vehicle.


The theft appeared on the National Insurance Crime Bureau database, which is used by border authorities and contains all stolen vehicle records.  Most police databases remove unsolved vehicle thefts after five years.

The California Highway Patrol does not suspect the restorer of wrongdoing, according to investigating officer Mike Maleta.  Possession of the vehicle apparently changed several times.  Police in Spokane have not yet located the rightful owner, whose identity has not been released to the press.  Maleta hopes that a trail of registration documents and interviews will uncover the thief.


The Allstate insurance company paid $2500 shortly after the theft occurred and wants to take possession of the vintage minibus.  Allstate spokeswoman Megan Brunet expects that after the necessary paperwork is processed the firm will sell it at auction.