What Happens To Stolen Cars In India?

Vehicle theft is one of the rising issues in India. According to government data, more than 2 lakh stolen cars were registered across India in 2016. These thefts can be avoided using modern GPS devices such as the GoConnect OBD 2.0 with built-in GPS. As thefts rise, out of every 100 cars, insured claims are filed for 35-40. Insurance companies pay about ₹1000 crores every year due to vehicle thefts. But have you wondered what happens to stolen cars in India?

Most Prone States

Metropolitan cities are the most prone places to these thefts. We have the top 5 states/UTs in India with maximum vehicle thefts. Across India, the maximum number of stolen cars is reported in Delhi, with about 40,000 cars in 2016. It is followed by Uttar Pradesh, with about 34,000 cases every year.

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Maharashtra comes third place with 22,000 cars stolen every year, mainly from urban areas such as Mumbai or Pune. Mumbai also reports the highest amount of stolen luxury cars. The numbers slightly go down a bit after the top 3. Rajasthan comes the fourth place with 16,000 cars. These stolen cars are then sold in nearby states. Karnataka takes the last place with only 10,000 vehicle thefts every year. Most of these cases are left unresolved, as tracking the car without GPS devices is difficult.

Breaking Down into Parts

Some of us might have wondered what happens to stolen cars; usually, the first step is to store them in a secluded area like an empty plot. The Delhi Police unfolded this mystery when they were inspecting a 3,000-sq-yard plot in Karawal Nagar, which had a lot of visitors with luxury cars. They discovered that a stolen car is broken down into parts in just an hour, and then parts are sold in the grey market for a cheaper rate.

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Usually, the thieves also jacked cars for crucial parts such as ECMs, but after breaking the car down, parts such as tyres, engines, CNG kits, and car batteries are sold. These gangs manage to sell everything except for the car windows, shockers & tailpipes. The few parts which go unsold are received by scrap dealers & some workshops to make the best of them. The gang caught in this operation dismantled and sold about 3,000 cars in a year.

Organised Crime Network

This is an organised crime network with a group of skilled thieves, including spare parts dealers, scrap dealers & car mechanics who usually drive the stolen car to their plot. These thieves use a wide variety of tools, from spanners & screwdrivers to gas & LPG cutters, to steal the car. SUVs such as Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Mahindra Scorpio & Bolero, Hyundai Creta are among the top stolen cars.

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At the same time, other cars such as Hector & Seltos are also getting popular among these gangs. Compact SUVs being the top-selling segment, are targeted the most and diesel ones have a better resale value. With the growing technological adoption in the industry, the newer cars are getting more secure & well equipped. But some features, such as keyless entry, might become a soft spot.

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While this is something out of our hands, we still always look out for only parking at authorised parking spaces and not leaving our cars unattended for long periods of time. We can also equip them with GPS-enabled devices. The GoConnect OBD 2.0 offers much more than real-time location tracking with other features such as health monitoring & driving analysis.