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News items from Europe and the UK
Thieves make money from the precious metals housed in catalytic converters. Thefts of vehicles’ catalytic converters have risen tenfold over the course of 2019, according to figures from a leading insurer. According to AA Car Insurance, thefts of catalytic converters, or ‘cats’ have increased dramatically since January, with a huge increase in the number of claims the company has received for such thefts. Back in January,…
he models at the top of cars thieves’ most-wanted list have been revealed as new data shows stolen prestige vehicles being sold on for as little as £1,000. An investigation by car security experts AX has revealed a “shopping list” of desirable models as well as the shockingly small sums they then changes hands for on the black market. The top of the list is made up of cars from just four manufacturers - Audi, BMW,…
Did the first motor carriages actually have locks? How did motorists in the last century prevent their vehicles from being stolen? It’s a long story. It tells of how theft protection first became necessary when people who were previously unfamiliar with cars learned how to start them in the first place. It also illustrates that people could only safely leave their valuables in the car when it had lockable doors, windows, and a roof. Even…
Britain’s leading bike crime expert says that despite a reduction in UK thefts, it’s still a massive problem and has outlined how police are turning to social media and modern tech in a bid to stem the flow of stolen motorcycles. Dr Ken German, who spent 25 years with the Met’s stolen vehicle squad, told MCN that theft figures for 2019 are expected to hit 24,000 bikes, taking the tally for the last five years to 141,000…
Keyless technology has led to a sharp rise in thefts of luxury cars, figures show. More than 14,000 premium models were stolen between January and October this year, according to an analysis of insurance claims by Direct Line. That is more than double the amount over the same period in 2015 and means a luxury vehicle is stolen once every 38 minutes on Britain's roads. Police and insurance firms believe the rise is partly because modern…
Experts have claimed that organised car thieves are using WhatsApp groups to plan and steal vehicles to order as motor thefts remain at epidemic levels. Criminal gangs are using coded messaging on apps and even mobile games to draw up and share shopping lists of models identified as being ideal targets, relay information about how to steal specific cars and put plans in place to hide their identity. These tactics have helped to…
Car makers have finally begun to fight back against the epidemic of keyless car crime, new tests have revealed. Six of the latest models from major manufacturers including Audi, BMW, Ford and VW received the highest security rating available in a new round of assessments that scrutinises how well vehicles stand-up against 'relay' thefts. It found that many of the latest cars with keyless entry and keyless start systems now have motion…
Almost 10,000 vans and commercial vehicles were stolen in the UK last year – a 4% rise year-on-year and a 45% increase over the last four years. The figures show that vans in London and West Yorkshire are most at risk. Of the 9,371 van thefts reported in the past 12 months, 4,777 were stolen in Great London area – a rise of 15%. The biggest yearly increase in thefts was reported in Leicestershire with 10 times more vans stolen in…
When Masamba Sinclair rented a Ford Expedition from Enterprise Rent-a-Car last May, he was excited to connect it to FordPass. The app allows drivers to use their phones to remotely start and stop the engine, lock and unlock the doors, and track the vehicle's precise location. "I enjoyed it and logged into FordPass to be able to access vehicle features from my phone such as locking, unlocking, and starting the engine," Sinclair, who is 34,…
A joint investigation, coordinated by Spain and involving law enforcement authorities from Colombia, France, Portugal, Romania, Sweden and the United Kingdom and supported by Europol, led to the dismantling of the largest organised crime group in the Spanish Levante area, involved in drug trafficking and money…