Situation report on car theft
More and more car thefts – thieves have new tricks
BKA registers more stolen cars. (Symbolic image) photo
© Axel Heimken/dpa
How do thieves get hold of the vehicles and where are they taken? A federal situation report from the BKA provides information.
There are more and more in Germany Cars stolen. As can be seen from a situation report by the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) on motor vehicle crime, 15,924 cars were stolen last year. That is nine percent more than in 2022.
In addition to theft, there is also embezzlement – for example when leased vehicles are not returned. They make up 17.8 percent of the stolen vehicles. The share rose by 18.6 percent, reaching its highest level in the last five years.
Mobile homes remain attractive
The number of stolen trucks rose by 48 percent to more than 1,000 cases in 2023. “This is due in particular to a series of thefts of small trucks in Berlin,” says the BKA.
At 469, the number of motorhomes stolen is almost unchanged – even though their registrations have increased significantly. “Because of the high prospect of profit, mobile homes are likely to remain the focus of internationally active criminal groups,” explains the BKA.
Division of labor in organized groups
The number of registered suspects rose last year by 10.2 percent to 19,660. “The majority of perpetrators are active in organized groups,” says the management report. They share theft, trade and transport among themselves.
“Eastern Europe continues to be an important destination and transit region for international vehicle shipments,” report the investigators. Turkey is the most important transit country for vehicles for the Middle East. “The United Arab Emirates in particular are very important as a sales market for high-quality vehicles and vehicle parts stolen in Germany,” writes the BKA in the management report.
The thieves’ new tricks
The police are increasingly observing that traveling groups of perpetrators break into apartments, steal vehicle keys and then steal the corresponding car. Alternatively, they use technical aids. These include, for example, so-called radio link extenders, which enable vehicles to be opened over a longer distance.