Thieves brag about trackers
Classic car fans are being urged to check their cars for trackers that may have been placed there by thieves.
Ken German, ex-Metropolitan police officer, specialist in vehicle crime and spokesman for the International Association of Auto Theft Investigators, said that his police contacts recently encountered thieves who were questioned about using devices to find out where classic cars are stored.
German says: ‘ These thieves unfortunately weren’t charged on this occasion but when questioned they actually bragged about the trend for thieves using trackers to target cars.
‘ These are likely to be devices that can be stuck with a magnet underneath a car and could range from anything the size of a mobile phone to something a bit smaller. The sort of devices we have seen range from being very DIY homemade to more sophisticated tech.’
Thieves use them to find out where cars are stored so as not to raise suspicion when following owners.
German is urging enthusiasts to check their cars before storing them for the winter season to make sure there is nothing fixed to their car that shouldn’t be there.
Ken adds: ‘If anyone does find a tracker, please inform the police and let the International Association of Auto Theft Investigators know too as we’re looking to see how widespread this issue has become.’