Interpol alert on terror links to car theft trade

CARS are being stolen from Australia and trafficked to Southeast Asia and East Africa by organised criminal syndicates that authorities believe have links to terrorism and human trafficking.

The warning has been issued by Interpol, which has offered expert training on how to stop stolen vehicles and stolen parts leaving Australia.

Tens of thousands of claims for stolen vehicles have been made in Australia in the past three years, with Toyota LandCruisers the top of the hit list.

Thousands of theft victims are members of a Facebook group dedicated to alerting the public about stolen cars, many desperate owners pleading for information.

Federal Joint Committee on Law Enforcement chairman Craig Kelly set up an inquiry into the theft and export of motor vehicles and parts

Interpol told the committee the exporting of vehicles was not exclusive to Australia but the growth in online trading websites had made it another challenge.

“In recent years there has been a significant rise in the ex- portation of stolen vehicle components,’’ it said.

“Vehicles are stolen and within hours can be dismantled into parts and sent anywhere in the world.

“There are a number of factors as to why this has become a preferred modus operandi for criminal groups operating in this domain throughout North America, Europe, and Australasia.”

The agency said most frontline law enforcement officers were generally trained to be able to examine a vehicle and identify that it was stolen.

“As law enforcement agen- cies were able to recover more vehicles through this type of identification, criminal groups were forced to change their activities in order to avoid detection.

“Identifying a stolen part, as opposed to a stolen vehicle is much more difficult and requires expertise in vehicle crime, as well as access to a number of different databases and information sources.

“The growth of online trading websites such as eBay and Alibaba have also fuelled the trafficking of stolen components as potential buyers can now be identified globally.

“Components are easy to transport and can be obtained and exported in a very short amount of time.

“Links between vehicle theft and other areas of crime vehicle crime is a highly organised criminal activity affecting all regions of the world and with clear links to organised crime and terrorism.

“Vehicles are not only stolen for their own sake, but are also trafficked to finance or perpetrate other crimes.”

It offered to hold a South East Asian training course in Australia to help fight the crime.