Why Do Thieves Steal Cars?

Bureau Beke conducted research for the Police and Science on chop shops and cloning factories, places where stolen cars get new identities or parts are sold on the international market: “Police and justice authorities regularly find hundreds of stripped car parts and dozens of cloned vehicles in these factories. The necessary vehicles are stolen in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, and Italy, mainly targeting young vehicles from brands such as BMW, Volkswagen, Mercedes, Audi, Renault, and Porsche.”

“The damage caused by the suspects amounts to one hundred thousand to two million euros per criminal investigation,” while enforcement by the police has low priority.

Thieves are not always after the car, motorcycle, or parts themselves. More and more often, stolen vehicles are used for transporting firearms, money, and drugs. According to Beke researchers, there is even “an explosive growth in vehicles with hidden compartments.”

Criminals also use stolen cars for high-impact crimes such as ram raids, robberies, attacks, and even murders. “Besides financial gain, fast cars—over 200 hp—are increasingly stolen to commit High Impact Crimes (HIC), such as robberies and ram and explosion raids, and also for assassinations.” And: “In virtually every serious crime case, from armed robberies to terrorist attacks, at least one rented or stolen vehicle is involved,” say the researchers.

Often mentioned together: theft and embezzlement. The main difference between car theft and car embezzlement lies in the circumstances of the act and the intention of the perpetrator. When someone steals a car without the owner's lawful permission, it is theft. If someone legally possesses a car, for example, as a lease driver, renter, or during a test drive, and the car is not returned to the leasing company, rental company, or dealer after the agreed period, it is embezzlement.

According to the National Intelligence and Expertise Center for Vehicle Crime, nearly a quarter of reported car thefts are cases of embezzlement, which is on the rise bezig.