Car theft has become a complex transnational industry, requiring new approaches from police, government and business. This was discussed at conferences “The fight against organized vehicle thefts” in London, Kazinform’s own correspondent reports from the scene.
Car theft as a transnational business
According to report Royal United Services Institute for Defense Studies, over the past 10 years, the number of hijackings in the UK has increased by 75% and reached about 130 thousand cases annually. Economic damage is estimated at $2.3 billion, and insurance premiums have increased by 82% since 2021.
Experts note that the activities of high-tech criminal groups are behind the increase in crimes. They use digital tools to hack cars, forge documents and change identification data. The entire process – from theft to export abroad – can take less than a day.
The main export destinations for stolen cars are the United Arab Emirates, Georgia, Cyprus and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, from where the cars are resold to other regions.
How modern criminal networks work
According to Assistant Commissioner of London Police Matt Twist, who spoke at the conference on Thursday, car thefts have long ceased to be spontaneous.
— Today it is a highly organized activity with high profits and low risk. Expensive cars are stolen to order, often using keyless entry technologies, and quickly find their way to foreign markets, he emphasized.
Despite the overall decline in vehicle crime compared to the early 2000s, recent years have seen a new increase driven by the activities of organized groups.
Modern criminal networks operate on a “modular” principle: different groups perform separate tasks, from theft to transportation and distribution. Profits are distributed among network participants and are not controlled by one leader.
In addition, crime has become more technologically advanced and closely linked with other types of illegal activities, going far beyond the borders of one country.
The criminal business remains extremely profitable. For example, cars in Africa can cost twice as much as in the UK. Against this background, costs are relatively low, and the margins of operations are very high, which allows criminals to make significant profits from each batch of exported cars.
The response of the British authorities and new risks
In response to the growing threat, British police are stepping up their response. Automatic license plate recognition technologies are used and specialized units are being developed.
Cooperation is being strengthened with automakers, who are tightening protection against theft, introducing global tracking systems and developing technologies for remote disabling of stolen cars.
However, this also has a downside. As security systems, especially keyless entry, become more sophisticated, criminals are increasingly turning to more aggressive methods – breaking into owners’ homes to steal keys or using violence.
The UK government is also taking action. Among the initiatives is the introduction of criminal liability for the possession, production and distribution of electronic devices for hacking cars.
Meanwhile, after law enforcement agencies began to pay more attention to car thefts, there has been an increase in the illegal export of auto parts. Stolen cars are often dismantled in underground workshops, and then the parts are sent abroad and sold through online platforms.
