Sharp increase of car thefts in the Netherlands this year, insurers say

The number of car thefts that occurred during the first six months of the year has risen significantly. According to new figures from the Vehicle Crime Insurance Bureau (VbV), criminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Cars are also disappearing more frequently in African countries.

In total, the organization, which works for Dutch insurers to combat vehicle crime, counted 3,645 stolen passenger cars during the first six months. That is over 20 percent more than in the first six months of last year. A large number of car thefts were committed in Eindhoven.

The Toyota RAV4 was the most sought-after target for criminals, with 232 stolen units. Notably, the number of Kia Sportage thefts quadrupled, rising from 19 to 82.

Edwin Karelsen, the director of the VbV, said that criminals often load the stolen vehicles onto containers and have them shipped off to a country like Ghana. It has been said that the containers are hardly checked during the trip, and this style of hybrid cars is very popular in Africa, also because the supply of parts for those vehicles is not a problem there.

According to him, car thieves have also developed special equipment to steal vehicles quickly. For example, they use a device that they plug into the headlight to start the car.

The figures also show that criminals are increasingly targeting more expensive cars. The average financial damage per stolen passenger car has risen by 30 percent to €17,500. The total damage costs increased by 60 percent to €64 million.

The number of stolen light commercial vehicles also increased by 10 percent, reaching 915 vehicles. The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter was the most frequent target. In contrast, scooter thefts decreased by about 5 percent. However, in terms of sheer numbers, this type of theft was still the most common, occurring 4,813 times.

The VbV Foundation also works to recover stolen cars. This involves, among other things, using so-called telematics in vehicles, which allows the manufacturer to remotely track the vehicle’s location.

“We currently see 227 stolen cars still driving around in Ghana,” Karelsen explained. According to him, recovering the vehicles from Africa can be difficult and costly.

Of the more than 7,000 vehicles found this year, fortunately, 90 percent were located within the Netherlands. Outside the Netherlands, the vehicles also frequently appeared in Germany, Belgium, Bulgaria, and Poland.