Experts: ‘Hardly any stolen classics are ever recovered’
We reported back in January that police have managed to recover only a tiny fraction of the classic cars stolen in the UK in recent years. Just five per cent of the 217 vehicles taken between the middle of 2015 and the end of 2016 have been found.
According to statistics released at the start of the year, the UK had the third highest rate of classic theft in Europe, lagging only behind Italy (where 291 classics were stolen) and France (275).
Experts believe that organised European gangs are responsible for many of the thefts. Figures released by the International Association of Auto Theft Investigators (IAATI) showed that many police authorities were unaware they had a problem with the theft of vehicles more than 30 years old.
British police forces have arrested several gangs responsible for stealing Land Rovers and Minis, something that they claimed would considerably reduce the gangs’ momentum in 2017.
Ken German, communications director of the IAATI, says: ‘While the theft of classics has not been as prolific as we thought it would be at the beginning of the year, the stealanything-with-wheels-on gangs have increased in number throughout the UK over the last 12 months.
‘A few model-specific orders were fulfilled by the thieves early on and our police service did remarkably well in arresting a couple of very active gangs. But car thieves are now taking on any orders to steal old and new, two and four wheels, or private and commercial where they know they can make money.’