Motor vehicle theft

Spanish authorities have apprehended seven individuals linked to a Bulgarian criminal syndicate notorious for their ability to steal high-value vehicles in under a minute, according to reports from the Center for Corruption and Organized Crime Research (OCCRP).

According to Eurostat data published in November, for the period 2015-2017, police in the EU have registered an average of 697,000 car thefts a year. This shows a significant decrease of 29% compared to 2008-2010 (when on average 983,000 cars were missing per year). Car theft has been declining in most EU Member States over the last ten years, Eurostat data show.

Boom of car theft in Greece. Authorities there are taking urgent measures against frequent vehicle lifts or components. "Park your car in guarded areas," warned Greek police over the increased cases, the BNR reported.

A months-long police operation has led to the arrest of 12 people aged 21 to 41 years old and suspected of running a gang that was responsible for stealing hundreds of cars in the Attica area.

POLICE in Spain have arrested 19 people, with a further five still under investigation, for the alleged theft of 85 vehicles, Euroweekly reports.

The gang allegedly had the help of a local council member who helped them to obtain information about the stolen vehicles and clone licence plates of identical cars so they could be resold.

A prosecutor in Veria, northern Greece, has issued criminal charges against five suspected members of a racket that has been stealing and reselling trucks for years.

Car thefts in Bulgaria have increased by nearly 9 % in the first eleven months of this year compared to 2014.

Since the beginning of the year, 3637 cars have been stolen, while the number of car thefts in 2014 stood at 3338.

The greatest number of thefts occurred in the four largest cities - Sofia (2204), Plovdiv (131), Varna (342) and Burgas (196).

A growing number of motor vehicle thefts has been registered over the first seven months of 2015, Bulgarian Interior Minister Rumyana Bachvarova has said.

Since January, there have been 2696 cases of cars being stolen - or roughly 385 per month, BGNES wire service quotes her as saying.

Six cars on average get stolen in Sofia every day, according to statistics of Bulgaria's Interior Ministry.

Nearly 1000 cars were stolen in Sofia since the beginning of 2015.