...or rather, where do they go ? They are obviously highly desirable to thieves because they are prepared to risk breaking into houses or carjacking just to get hold of them.

What is the demand for scoobs, is it to ring them and flog them to the unsuspecting or the not so unsuspecting punter ?

Are the cars taken out of the country ? Ireland is the only other country in Europe which would want RHD cars.

Or are they just broken for spares?

I'm tired of hearing about how these gits are now breaking into people's homes to steal a car, it's just not on. We may not be able to stop a car being stolen if a thief really wants it, but if we, as a community, can understand how the cars are disposed of now then maybe we can work out how to make stolen scoobs a big pain in the @rse for them to dispose of in the future and force them to target something else.

 

See my reply to Stephen Emery's post....

My parents had their cars stolen a year ago (BMW and an SL) - the SL was recovered (tracker) but IIRC the BMW had made its way to the MIddle East via Japan of all places (I think....will check if I get a minute).

I think, in their case, the 'organisation' was a Middle Eastern one, so the cars ended up there, with a trip to Japan to cover their tracks I think. I think some of the cars where then being sold onto people in some of the Eastern European countries.

To be honest, I dont think RHD/LHD will really matter (although of course, it is illegal I think in some places to have the wheel on the other side).

John

 

Guys,

A friend of mine has his BMW 328i stolen from his home(broke in and took the keys) in N.Ireland.

He got a call from the police approx. 5 months after the incident telling him that they found his car...................In Spain!

Shaun

 

They stole the wifes Metro in Portadown a good few years ago, never turned up thank the Lord. There are some sick people about.

 

many 'second hand' imported luxury cars here in kenya (mercs, scoobs etc) end up being stolen cars from japan and the uk. (RHD). lucky i got my scoob NEW.

zak

 

Many are stripped for parts. This in itself is a lucrative and less traceable business.

In NZ a few years ago there was a Merc stolen. At the time it was the only one in both NZ and Australia. It was never found.

It was unlikely to have been stolen to order but more a crime of opportunity. The guy went into a newsagent and left the keys in the ignition. Plonker.

 

A man arrested by gardaí investigating a multi-million euro stolen car racket is due to appear in court tomorrow charged with handling stolen property.

The 35-year-old Lebanese man is one of four people being held after gardaí raided a shed near Kilcullen, Co Kildare and seized car parts worth over €250,000 which were in a container due to be shipped to Eastern Europe.

The three other men, who are from Syria and Lebanon, are still being questioned at Naas and Newbridge Garda Stations.


Gardaí are investigating the theft of over 100 luxury cars, mainly BMWs and Mercedes, in Dublin and the surrounding counties over the past eight months.

Blanchardstown detectives and the Garda Stolen Car Unit believe the car racket paid thieves up to €10,000 to steal the luxury cars.

This afternoon, gardaí carried out further searches at homes and at least one business premises in Dublin.

 

10,000 a car! I'm in the wrong business

 

My ex-brother in law left the keys to his 5 series BMW company car in the ignition when paying for petrol (idiot) and, not surprisingly, someone nicked it. His company's insurance wouldn't pay out, so he was asked to pay the company back for the value of the car (22k).

He was extremely lucky to get it back. The police found it just before it was loaded into a container bound for South Africa - which is a RHD country.