Cam,
sad to see your car being scammed like this!
Too many people these days want money for nothing!
Firstly, i doubt this is a matter for the local boys in blue. Seems to me to be probably internationally based. Are/have the locals been in touch with the Federal Police? Even if it is not international..it may be cross state, and the locals have little jurisdiction interstate, and getting co-operation takes time. Car Fraud is actually a federal offence and if the AFP is involved things happen quicker due to their national jurisdiction. (also it starts in a higher court, so they have to pay more to BEGIN to defend themselves hehehe)
I have spoken with 2 mates about your issue, they are both blueys in Vic. they both agree independantly, that your missing spares are an issue, and the fact that the car has been photographed in a workshop that does not appear to be dealer QUALITY in presentation is even scarier.
Thier advice is to recode the locks, and lose the Personalised plates for a time. VicRoads may be amenable to providing you with a std set of plates (free of charge) to minimise the cars identity.
The biggest problem is who recodes the locks. The easiest way is to have Ford do it. Unfortunatley, they will enter the new lock codes into thier computer. The person trying to defraud you and others seems to have access to this level information.
I suggest you walk into a ford dealer and buy a set of locks to suit your model....tell them you are self fitting.
Whoever you get to fit them, YOU provide the locks to your fitter, but ENSURE you keep the code tag, that comes with the new set, file the tag with the other info you have for the car. That way, no person can ever cut the correct set off the computer.
Another security measure you could take is to register a change of address with ford....Your parents maybe, or the parents of a mate, a place the car will never be parked.
Depending on your insurance company, you may be able to get them to pay for the recode, as you and the police beleive the cars security has been compromised.
If you really love your car, and want the locks replaced, by someone who is not going to butcher the job (it can be done) I would be HAPPY to do it for the princely sum of a slab of light beers (for my workshop)
Why so cheap? because even tho my car is a 92 EB i would hate to lose it....i can only shudder at losing something like yours.
I do not come here very often, so if you wish to contact me, either email.
webmaster@jasonpigdon.com, or BH phone (03) 59 619 139
Cheers
Jas