Wheel traction: why thefts from car dealerships have returned to the lives of Russians

Regional police units have warned of the increasing risk of car thefts during the May holidays. Why borsetochniki return and what interests thieves in other people's vehicles is in the Izvestia article.

Seasonal danger

On the eve of the May holidays, memos with recommendations on how to avoid theft of personal property from vehicles appeared on the official police portals in the regions. According to the police, during the May holidays, when many leave the city or visit, the problem is especially urgent.

Thieves are primarily interested in GPS navigators, DVRs, radar detectors, personal belongings, bags, laptops, and documents.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Anna Selina

Electronics is at the top of the list of desired prey. In the Murmansk region, police uncovered the theft of an expensive smartphone from a truck in a parking lot. An unknown person took advantage of the fact that the driver got out of the cab, leaving the door open, and stole a phone worth 62 thousand rubles. Detectives quickly identified the thief — he turned out to be a 37-year-old previously convicted Murmansk resident. He confessed to the crime, and his smartphone was seized.

Last week, a gang of car thieves who were "stripping" cars was detained in Kursk. In one case, they appropriated a battery, decorative wheel caps, a radio and speakers, and audio equipment was uprooted, damaging the door trim.

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Reasons for growth

"In the context of a shortage of accessories and components for cars, in particular European and American production, theft of interior and body elements has become relevant again," says a police source. — A broken headlight on any German car will take one and a half to two months to get to Russia. Many people opt for used spare parts.

An analysis by Izvestia showed that there are closed websites and groups on the Internet where you can practically order the theft of the necessary spare parts, including interior elements. Dashboards are in particular demand, the cost of which often exceeds 100 thousand rubles. Thieves do not disdain clothes, shoes and accessories, especially premium Western brands. They are stolen both from the salons and from the trunks.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Sergey Lantyukhov

"Bags of well—known brands and new sneakers from the world's leading manufacturers are quickly sold on ad sites — the demand for them is off the charts," the policeman testifies.

They also steal child seats in order to sell them at special sites, strollers, bicycles. Bags of belongings and bank cards are stolen, which many people forget in the car after paying for parking or driving on a toll road. Phones, tablets, and other gadgets are in high demand. There were also bags of expensive tools that I was too lazy to pick up from the car.

Quiet and fast

In order to break the glass of a car, criminals use a ceramic firing pin or a "spider" — a piece of ceramic from a spark plug, says retired police colonel, former MURA officer Valentin Stanovov, about the mechanism of committing crimes.

— Ceramics are harder than glass, and therefore one imperceptible click on the corner of the glass is enough, as it crumbles into crumbs almost soundlessly. There are other ways — for example, in modern conditions, you can use special equipment to intercept the signal and simply either open the door or adjust the alarm mode so that the windows of the car roll down.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Korotaev

According to the expert, from the beginning of May to October is the "hunting season" for thieves.

— Tinting saves, but modern thieves shine special blue diode flashlights into the cabin, the light of which is not visible from a few steps away from the outside, but it "pierces" the tinting very well, highlighting what is left in the cabin.

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How to protect yourself

Vasily Kotov, an engineering specialist at a company specializing in automotive security modules, says that engineers have developed two-level microwave sensors to control interior volume.

— They work on the principle of radar: they "illuminate" space and instantly record any change in the position of objects. Unlike the usual end cap on the door, such protection cannot be deceived: the sensor will work equally well if you break the window, open the door, or even just open the trunk to get into the cabin.

The main advantage is GSM communication and notifications via the app, says the alarm specialist.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Korotaev

— At the same moment when the sensor detects the intruder, a push notification arrives on the phone. You immediately see the inscription: "Alarm: cabin hacking". Moreover, the application keeps a history of all events with coordinates and time — there is always a digital proof of the incident, which will then be useful to the police.

From the point of view of reliability, modern security systems divide the entire space into several independent zones — doors, hood, trunk and internal volume. If the limit switches don't work somewhere, the microwave radar is still highly likely to detect movement inside.

Law enforcement agencies recommend acting on the principle of "put it away, take it closer."

"If possible, park your cars in garages or guarded parking lots, in lighted areas, near buildings equipped with video surveillance cameras. Use additional security and locking devices," the police press release says. To avoid provoking thieves, remove everything from the windshield and front panel. Never leave the keys in the ignition, always turn on the alarm, close the doors and windows. The police also noted that damage from broken windows and broken locks can be more expensive than stolen property.