‘Huge rise in cars stolen to be shipped abroad and sold on to unscrupulous buyers. There are more than 300 cars stolen every day with many stolen to order for buyers abroad.’ Source – Express 30/01/2023
This will come as no surprise to those who know us – we have been raising the issue for years:
- The value of cars has increased and therefore, so has the cost of their components – breaking for parts and selling these is simpler than disposing of an entire vehicle in the UK
- The number of clones surfacing has reduced. We handle claims for those who innocently bought a vehicle, believing they acquired the best title, only to learn it was in fact stolen from another. Such claims have reduced likely because cloning is less attractive (more complicated and risky) than breaking for parts (above) or shipping the vehicle/components abroad.
- Vehicle crime may be a performance indicator but it is not a priority and proportionality is applied to the allegation; not much we can do other than put a marker on PNC (Police National Computer) loS (Lost or Stolen) register, sit back and hope it is recovered. Police crime reports seldom carry much more than was written in the 1980’s; ‘vehicle left locked, secured and unattended, unable to assist re suspects’. Reports are ‘closed’ quickly.
- Constabularies do not challenge theft allegations and may even (unwittingly) assist victims in presenting inaccurate, misleading accounts.
- There is a disconnect in the vehicle theft investigation process between police, finance companies, insurers, tracking services, and the DVLA that benefits the dishonest – thief or vehicle owner
- Inaccurate statistics are bandied about giving the wrong impression; if you do not know the size of the problem, how do you accurately resource it?
The result is obvious; exploitation by criminals.