Police appeal to drivers after theft of more than 100 high-value cars

Police are urging owners of high-value and highperformance cars to be wary after 119 vehicles have been stolen across eastern Scotland in recent months.

The thefts have happened outside properties in Dundee, Fife, Forth Valley, East Lothian, Midlothian and West Lothian.

Officers say they have primarily taken place in the late evening or early morning, when the occupants are in bed and there are fewer members of the public in the areas.

In some instances, entry is forced to the property and the car keys have been taken after the suspects obtained them from near to the front door.

However, in some cases, criminals have used a signal amplifying device that picks up the frequency of the car key from outside the front door, allowing the car to be driven away without the property being accessed.

We reported earlier this week how one Fife driver feared the key for his car had been cloned before it was stolen from his driveway.

The thefts are being investigated as part of Operation Greenbay – the ongoing campaign by Police Scotland across the central belt, which investigates the theft of cars during housebreakings.

Detective Inspector Karen Muirhead said: “Whenever a housebreaking or vehicle theft occurs, it has a profound impact on the victims and as part of Operation Greenbay we are actively investigating all of these incidents to identify those responsible and reunite stolen cars with their rightful owners.

“Preventing these crimes happening in the first instance is our top priority and the public have a vital role to play in this.

“We are treating all of these crimes with the utmost seriousness and would urge anyone with information that can assist our ongoing inquiries to contact police immediately.”

Those with information can contact Police Scotland via 101, or alternatively, make an anonymous report to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

“We

are actively investigating all of these incidents