PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Philadelphia police believe suspects turned a secluded, wooded area off of South Road and Bartram Avenue into a chop shop.

“In that area, it’s very sophisticated from what I’m told. There are multiple, we believe, stolen vehicles,” said Philadelphia Police First Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore.

Police said at least 15 vehicles, as well as many parts, were towed from the scene in Southwest Philadelphia on Thursday evening.

It’s near the Philadelphia International Airport on PennDOT’s property.

“It’s certainly something. We have to spend some time to figure out where people were bringing the stuff in (and) see if there is any other evidence we can recover,” said Vanore.

Detectives already know the vehicles were stolen from across the region, including South Jersey.

They said the suspects created a garage in the woods covered by a camouflage tarp, and they worked overnight based on the several lights inside.

Detectives said there were also many man-made exit points in case the suspects needed to escape.

Police said vehicle thefts have been a problem since 2020.

“There have been definitely a spike in stolen vehicles,” said Vanore. “Certain areas are being hit harder than others in our northeast section of the city.”

The Action News Data Journalism team found there have been nearly 25,932 vehicle thefts across Philadelphia over the last 12 months, that’s three-and-a-half times the annual average over the last three years.

“But when we see an area like this where cars are being recovered, it helps us identify people and put a stop to some of what’s going on,” said Vanore.

Police have not made any arrests.