Publication: Economic Times Delhi; Date:2008 Oct 12; Section:Front Page;
Page Number 1
AUTO THEFT
Dial a robber for hot wheels
Get those swanky cars at half the price
John Sarkar & Mohd Faizan Khan NEW DELHI
THERE is a new professional in town. And he is ready to steal for you. Why go to a
showroom when you can sit at home and order the car of your choice, and that too at
almost half the price? Ask police officials and they say that on demand theft is the latest
trend in the stolen car market. Whether it’s a Maruti Suzuki SX4, a Mahindra Scorpio or a
Ford Fiesta, you name it and they can get it for you. And colour? You have that option too!
Sample this: Auto theft is a growing menace worldwide. If vehicle theft had been a
permissible business, it would rank 50th among the Fortune 500 companies, according to
the FBI. In the US alone, auto theft is said to be a $9 billion business and growing. And
India too, seems to be catching up really fast. According to grey market estimates, the
stolen car industry here could be churning out close to Rs 250 crore. And the growth rate is
unlikely to abate anytime soon.
In India the modus operandi for on demand theft is very simple. Here thieves don’t have
to walk that extra mile to seek out buyers. Now, buyers locate thieves who can steal the car
they want. ACP Rajan Bhagat of Delhi Police says, “On demand auto theft is a relatively new
phenomenon. And it works for very high-end and specific vehicles.”
Sample this: According to sources in the grey market, you can buy a relatively new Maruti
SX4 for Rs 3 lakh, a Mahindra Scorpio will cost you less than Rs 3 lakh and a ‘new’ Maruti
Swift would set you back by around Rs 2.5 lakh. And the choices are endless. A grey market
car dealer from Delhi’s Sadar Bazaar, on the condition of anonymity said: “Popular cars such
as, SX4, Scorpio, Fiesta and Swift are in demand. If we don’t have the model of your choice,
the waiting period might last from two weeks to three months. And if you want any
particular colour, the premium might go up to Rs 20000 depending on the make.”
So, how do they do it? Growing number of vehicle thefts suggest that gangs have become
more organised and professional. For instance, in the South, an interstate nexus operates
between Karnataka, Maharashtra and Kerala. The vehicles stolen in Kerala are sold either in
Karnataka or Maharashtra. Similarly, the vehicles stolen in Karnataka are sold in other
states. Now, if the Karnataka counterpart receives a vehicle from either Kerala or
Maharashtra, he would arrange a no objection certificate in the RTO office to change the
registration
and make a new document for the vehicles. Finally, it would be sold in Bangalore through a
mediator.
In the Garden City, around 5000 cases of vehicle theft are registered every year. But
Mumbai and Delhi top the list of the largest markets for stolen vehicles. Total number of
vehicles in the capital that were registered online as stolen last year stood at approximately
16,700.
But according to data available with SundayET, the official website of zonal integrated
police network of northern states including Delhi shows 14,410 cases registered till August
31 this year. And according to the national crime records bureau (NCRB), more than 10,000
vehicles were stolen from Maharastra in 2006, which is arguably the largest market for
stolen vehicles. (Currently the NCRB does not have records beyond 2006).
FAST TRACK
New Maruti SX4
Rs 3 lakh
Mahindra Scorpio less than Rs 3 lakh
New Maruti Swift
Rs 2.5 lakh
Colour choice premium up to Rs 20,000
In US, auto theft is a $9-bn biz
In India, stolen car industry churning out $55 mn
Small cars all-time favourites
IN ALL the major metros, other than on demand cars, small cars are the long-standing
favourites. For instance, in the capital, smaller the size of car, easier it is to drag away. Last
year Maruti 800 stood as the most stolen vehicle in and around Delhi. Esteem, Indica and
Santro were also on the priority list of vehicle hunters. This year too, Maruti 800 topped the
charts followed by Hyundai Santro and Suzuki Zen. According to latest data, already 157
theft cases of Maruti 800 were registered in August this year and 77 Santro were lifted in
the same month. Zen, Omni and Tata Indica followed closely.
Going south, in Bangalore the most sought after car by vehicle lifters continues to be the
minivan Maruti Omni. It is sent to Kerala and Tamil Nadu and the purchasers are mainly
from rural areas. The vehicles are used for transportation and to carry goods. The Omni is
followed closely by Toyota Qualis, Tata Sumo, Toyota Innova, Mahindra Scorpio, Mahindra
Bolero and Chevrolet Tavera, which are all big vehicles and passenger carriers. But what
happens to the cars that are stolen in the north? A Delhi Police official says, “The fate of all
stolen vehicles are more or less similar. Most stolen vehicles are smuggled into another
state (read UP, Rajasthan and Uttaranchal), re-registered, dismantled and the accessories
are sold or totally dismantled and only the engine is utilised.”
(With inputs from Arnab Ganguly from Kolkata & VInay M Gowda from
Bangalore)