Back in 2000, car thefts in Belgium stood at around 40,000 per annum. Thanks to measures taken by manufacturers and the police that number halved over the following decade. In 2010 the number of cars reported stolen stood at just under 17,000.
But, the police report, a new threat as car thefts begin to rise again.
The theft recovery percentage is decreasing for the first time, suggesting more professionals are at work and the perpetrators are now both very active and innovative.
The police indicate that they now have electronic tools at their disposal, tools that can be acquired through the Internet. Such a device can disrupt the transponder of the vehicle and seconds later the engine is up and runningt.
A few years ago, such sophisticated were occasionally built by specialist car theft gangs. Now fully professional devices are acquired online. The use of them is of course illegal, but selling is completely legal.
Stealing a brand new car is now a simple as pressing a button…
