Incidences of car theft have been rising right here in Malaysia, with syndicates concentrating on pick-up vans, 4x4s and SUVs specifically, in line with The Star. The nation is seeing a year-on-year improve within the variety of autos stolen, reaching a excessive of 14,592 final yr in comparison with 14,433 in 2022 and 13,426 in 2021.
Of these, bikes make up the lion’s share with 10,589 stolen, whereas 3,225 vehicles (inclusive of pick-ups, SUVs and MPVs, that is truly barely down from 2022’s whole of three,264) and 778 lorries had been additionally taken from their house owners. As of September this yr, the entire of autos stolen reached 10,849, together with 7,700 bikes, 2,535 vehicles and 614 lorries.
Bukit Aman Felony Investigation Division (CID) director Comm Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain advised the publication in an interview that the stolen autos had been being offered abroad – together with neighbouring nations – with syndicates being paid handsomely.
Stolen autos are in excessive demand as a result of they’re a 3rd the value of what they’re on the used market. Different elements embody the pressing want for spare elements. “Our investigations revealed that car theft syndicates are concentrating on 4×4 autos and SUVs on account of excessive demand, as such autos can fetch a excessive worth within the black market.
“Native car theft syndicates will likely be paid between RM20,000 and RM30,000 per luxurious car by worldwide syndicates, relying on the kind and situation of the car,” Mohd Shuhaily mentioned.
He added that criminals had been turning in the direction of car theft as a result of excessive revenue and the way little time it takes to steal it, estimating that simply 5 minutes is all that it takes. Syndicates usually goal autos parked on the road, in open or public parking areas or in entrance of unfenced homes, though there have been a number of instances of luxurious car theft in gated neighbourhoods. Thieves usually observe and comply with the motion of their focused car for between 24 and 72 hours earlier than stealing it.
The strategy of theft usually modifications over time to adapt to the growing sophistication of car safety methods and now contains a number of digital gadgets to unlock vehicles with keyless entry, in addition to high-powered cell jammers to disable GPS monitoring. “The sale of such devices and tools on-line is a significant contributing issue in the direction of the frequency of theft in Malaysia,” mentioned Mohd Shuhaily. “These gadgets are simply accessible and bought by on-line functions.”
He added that the skill to defeat keyless entry methods has been a significant component accelerating car theft. “Syndicates have found methods to hack keyless entry methods or to bypass safety methods with out the usage of the unique key,” Mohd Shuhaily mentioned.
Thieves additionally make the most of proprietor negligence and the dearth of car safety methods, in addition to alarm methods which can be simply accessible and susceptible to tampering. “Different negligent behaviours are parking the car in a secluded space or darkish place, not putting in further locks, or worse, leaving the car unlocked,” Mohd Shuhaily mentioned.
As for what occurs after the automotive is stolen, that relies on the place it’s headed. “The modus operandi for the home market usually entails tampering with engine and chassis numbers of the autos earlier than promoting them.
“The syndicates would additionally dismantle the stolen autos and promote the spare elements. For the worldwide market, syndicates would smuggle the autos overseas on demand,” mentioned Mohd Shuhaily, including that stolen autos are smuggled throughout the border utilizing false registration numbers and paperwork much like the mannequin of the stolen car.
Of the 53,300 autos stolen since 2021, 13,704 have been recovered by the CID, particularly its Intelligence, Operations and Data Division (D4). “We additionally detained 17,199 people nationwide in reference to car thefts. All those that have been arrested had felony data, together with automotive and bike thefts in addition to drug offences,” Mohd Shuhaily mentioned.
Among the many measures taken by the police was the shut collaboration with enforcement companies in Thailand to thwart transnational organised crime alongside the border. “Conducting joint operations to watch unlawful passages or routes can be important. We additionally elevated the frequency of patrols in hotspot areas and have stepped up the arrest and prosecution of car thieves,” Mohd Shuhaily mentioned, including that authorities have additionally carried out campaigns to unfold car safety consciousness.
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