The incidence of vehicle theft has increased here in Malaysia, with syndicates targeting vans, 4x4s and SUVs in particular, according to The star. The country is seeing a year-on-year increase in the number of stolen vehicles, peaking at 14,592 last year, up from 14,433 in 2022 and 13,426 in 2021.

Of these, motorcycles account for the lion’s share, with 10,589 stolen, while 3,225 cars (including pick-ups, SUVs and MPVs, this is actually down slightly from the 2022 total of 3,264) and 778 trucks were also taken from their owners. In September this year, the total number of stolen vehicles reached 10,849, including 7,700 motorcycles, 2,535 cars and 614 trucks.

Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain told the publication in an interview that the stolen vehicles were sold abroad – including to neighboring countries – with syndicates being paid handsomely.

Stolen vehicles are in high demand because they are a third of the price of those on the second-hand market. Other factors include the urgent need for spare parts. “Our investigations have shown that vehicle theft syndicates are targeting 4×4s and SUVs due to high demand as such vehicles can fetch a high price on the black market.

“Local vehicle theft syndicates will be paid between RM20,000 and RM30,000 per luxury vehicle by international syndicates, depending on the type and condition of the vehicle,” said Mohd Shuhaily.

He added that criminals are turning to vehicle theft because of the high profit and how little time it takes to steal them, estimating that just five minutes is all it takes. The syndicates often target vehicles parked on the street, in open or public parking areas, or in front of unfenced homes, although there have been several cases of theft of luxury vehicles in gated neighborhoods. Thieves often observe and track the movement of the targeted vehicle for 24 to 72 hours before stealing it.

The theft method often changes over time to accommodate the increasing sophistication of vehicle security systems and now includes more electronic devices to unlock cars with keyless entry, as well as high-powered mobile jammers to disable GPS tracking. “The online sale of such gadgets and equipment is a major factor contributing to the frequency of theft in Malaysia,” said Mohd Shuhaily. “These devices are easily accessible and purchased through online applications.”

He added that ability to defeat keyless entry systems was a major factor that accelerated vehicle theft. “Syndicates have discovered ways to hack keyless entry systems or bypass security systems without using the original key,” said Mohd Shuhaily.

Thieves also take advantage of owner negligence and the lack of vehicle security systems, as well as alarm systems that are easily accessible and vulnerable to tampering. “Other careless behaviors are parking the vehicle in a secluded or dark place, not installing additional locks or worse, leaving the vehicle unlocked,” said Mohd Shuhaily.

As for what happens after the car is stolen, that depends on where it’s going. “The way it operates for the domestic market often involves changing the engine and chassis numbers of vehicles before selling them.

“The syndicates would also dismantle the stolen vehicles and sell the spare parts. For the international market, syndicates would take smuggled vehicles out of the country on demand,” said Mohd Shuhaily, adding that stolen vehicles are smuggled across the border using fake registration numbers and documents similar to the model of the stolen vehicle.

Of the 53,300 stolen vehicles since 2021, 13,704 have been recovered by the CID, specifically the Intelligence, Operations and Records Division (D4). “We have also apprehended 17,199 people nationally in connection with vehicle theft. All those who were arrested had criminal records including car and motorcycle thefts as well as drug-related offences,” said Mohd Shuhaily.

Among the measures taken by the police was working closely with Thai law enforcement agencies to counter transnational organized crime along the border. “Conducting joint operations to monitor illegal crossings or routes is also vital. We have also increased the frequency of patrols in hotspot areas and stepped up the arrest and prosecution of vehicle thieves,” said Mohd Shuhaily, adding that the authorities had also conducted vehicle security awareness campaigns.

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