Thatcham Research partners NaVCIS to tackle vehicle theft
Thatcham Research has joined forces with the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS) to tackle vehicle theft in the UK.
Despite the UK having the highest levels of on-vehicle security in the world, a vehicle was stolen every five minutes in 2024.
Uncovering the major routes and countries used by organised criminal gangs to export a stolen vehicles, Thatcham Research’s new data also reveals the reasons why vehicles stolen in the UK are being exported to countries around the world.
It found that 52% of the vehicles intercepted by NaVCIS were from premium and luxury manufacturers and 79% of all interceptions were SUVs, showing a strong appetite for this class of vehicle for usage and parts.
The top five countries identified for stolen vehicle export by Thatcham Research and NAVCIS are the Democratic Republic of Congo (38.5%), UAE (20.1%), Cyprus (6.7%), Jamaica (5.7%) and Georgia (5.1%). This illegal export market is driven by factors as wide ranging as the scarcity of vehicle parts, desirability of certain makes and models, geopolitical events and even natural disasters.
Pivotal role
Chief research and operations officer at Thatcham Research, Richard Billyeald said: “Thatcham Research has played a pivotal role in establishing security standards and conducts testing of vehicles for vehicle manufacturers, which has resulted in the UK having the highest levels of standard security equipment fitted to new vehicles.
“The result is that the casual theft and joy riding of the 80s and 90s has all but disappeared, with vehicle manufacturers having succeeded in making it very difficult for amateurs to steal modern vehicles.”
“However, the organised criminal gangs who have replaced them are well-funded and sophisticated in their approach, combining specialist electronic equipment with an international logistics network. Raising vehicle security alone will not prevent thefts, we believe that beating these criminals requires cooperation between government agencies, vehicle manufacturers and ourselves to reduce the value of stolen assets and therefore the incentive to steal them.”
Parts
Billyeald added: “Parts scarcity, vehicle desirability, natural disasters and geopolitical events is driving an illegal market in a wide variety of luxury cars, SUVs and pickups, with insurers settling claims worth £640m in 2024.
“We will continue to work with vehicle makers to improve vehicle security and establish how to remotely disable stolen vehicles in a safe manner, as well as making stolen parts more difficult to reuse.”
