Crimes related to motor vehicles are a real "scourge" of Bulgaria. For many years, law enforcement officers have been promising to solve this serious problem, but it has not yet been possible to achieve any significant results. Judging by the reports, the employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs periodically detain entire gangs of thieves, but this has little effect on the indicators of thefts and thefts. Perhaps the situation will change for the better in 2017, but for now we will proceed from the data for previous years.

According to statistics, in 2016, 3329 cars were stolen on the territory of Bulgaria. Law enforcement officers immediately stated that compared to 2015, the indicators improved by 20%, since 4018 car owners lost their iron horses the year before last. In 2013, there were 3565 thefts. In other words, an average of 8 to 11 cars have been stolen per day for spare parts and for sale outside the country in recent years. A clear increase in the number of such crimes was observed from 2012 to 2015. According to experts – representatives of the insurance market, this was due, among other things, to the decision at the state level to remove the stickers of insurance companies from car windows.

Detection of such crimes in Bulgaria over the years I haven't changed much and so far it has not exceeded 10% (6.19% in 2015, 9.59% in 2016). The largest number of thefts occurs in large cities – Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna and Burgas. The capital, for obvious reasons, leads in these unpleasant statistics. In 2015, 2439 cars were stolen in Sofia, in 2016 – 1851. Even more alarming are the indicators of crimes related to the theft of certain parts of cars – wheels, car radios, catalytic converters, etc. In 2016, 5,285 such cases were officially registered. The detection rate of such offenses is slightly higher than in the situation with theft. In 2016, 14% of thefts were solved, in 2015 only 11%. It is noteworthy that in Bulgaria there are cities where in a year may not happen Not a single car theft. For example, in 2015, Silistra, Razgrad and Smolyan became such settlements.

According to investigators, most often stolen cars, depending on their age and condition, are sent either for dismantling or for resale outside Bulgaria. Sometimes specialists make a duplicate of an existing car with Bulgarian registration from a stolen car. It is not uncommon for thieves to offer to return a car for "ransom" – on average 20-30% of its current market value. Criminals sometimes manage to get up to BGN 3 thousand for a stolen car at a car dismantling ("avtomorga" – Bulgarian), law enforcement officers say. Owners of "automorgues" often act as customers of specific cars for thieves themselves. New and expensive cars are most often exported in two directions – to the former Soviet republics and to Turkey, from where they get to Syria, Iraq and other Asian countries. In 2013 Bulgarian media reportedthat cars stolen on the territory of Bulgaria are served, among other things, by the jihadists of the Islamic State and the like.

Theft rating and "conveyor"

Obviously, such a "Rating" in Bulgaria are led by the brands of German automakers, since It is these cars that are the most numerous on local roads. "Prize" – the first, second and third places are periodically occupied by different car brands, but consistently from the same "magnificent" four: Volkswagen, BMW, Audi, Mercedes. They are usually followed by the Japanese Toyota. Opel, Honda, Mini Cooper and Hyundai are a little behind. Of the premium class SUVs, Range Rover, BMW X6, and Audi are in high demand among criminals. Most often car thefts in Bulgaria are performed in the evening from 22.00 to 24.00 or at night from 4.00 to 6.00, mainly from Thursday to Friday and from Friday to Saturday.

If we talk about the age of the most stolen cars in Bulgaria, it generally corresponds to the general representation of vehicles on the roads of the country. This is either the premium segment, which is owned mainly by businessmen, b

and current politicians and athletes, or Consumer carsproduced before 2005-2007. It is also not difficult for thieves to open such a car, because, as a rule, their owners do not "bother" with the purchase of modern and expensive anti-theft systems. It is noted that there is no special need to put them on some car brands in Bulgaria. According to some experts, Fords and Citroens are quite slightly popular with car thieves.

With "popular" and successfully stolen (in most cases "for dismantling") cars, the following happens: upon arrival at specially designated garages, they are dismantled and the first thing they do is destroy the numbers on all units. After that, the "spare parts" are sent to the dismantling. If the "automorgue" comes to the attention of the police and an inspection arrives at the facility, then their owners claim that they bought the part on the Internet, and do not remember the contact phone number. The "ad" has already been "deleted" by that time. By unofficial data, the earnings of dismantling from the sale of one stolen car in parts can reach BGN 4 – 5 thousand. This long-term well-established "conveyor" has led to the fact that A significant part of the Bulgarian "automorgues" are managed through figureheads, and in fact they belong to authoritative hijackers. Which, according to law enforcement officers, have not stooped to petty thefts for a long time, but only occasionally hunt for "big fish" in the premium segment. For this, they have all the necessary ultra-modern technical means, the cost of which can reach 20 thousand euros.

Most of the "authorities" are well known to the police. As of 2014, there were no active hijackers in the database of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVR – Bulgarian.) there were more than 100 people. The oldest at that time was 62 years old, but age did not prevent him from doing what he "loved" from time to time. In March 2016 Experts reported about 15 organized gangs of car thieves in Sofia alone and about 40 more in the regions.

"Insurance" scheme and operation "Evacuation"

With the participation of insurance companies in Bulgaria, a kind of alternative way to return the car to the owner is being implemented, in which all participants in the process are, so to speak, "in chocolate". Only statisticians suffer

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and, within acceptable limits, the budgets of insurers. The scheme looks quite legal from beginning to end: as soon as the owner of the car discovers its loss, he immediately reports the incident to the police and the insurance company. The police deploy a set of search measures, but after a day or two, the insurers contact the owner of the car and report that it was found abandoned, safe and sound. A little earlier, they publicly announce a reward of 20% of the insured value of the vehicle to the one who finds it.

As a rule, the car is found by an employee of an intermediary company that has a connection

and in the criminal world. Insurers pay the company the promised 20% of their "risk" fund, part of which automatically goes to thieves. Thus, the insurance company avoids paying the car owner the entire insurance amount, he gets his car back, and the police close the case. As mentioned above, according to statistics, the police find no more than 10% of all stolen cars in the country. At the same time, According to some reports,, Of all the cars stolen in the country in 2015, about 25% were returned to their owners in one way or another.

Source: bradva.bg

Sometimes Bulgarian car thieves are able to surprise both the police and car owners with their creativity. So, at the beginning of last year, Wave of messages about the increase in the number of thefts of vehicles with the help of… tow trucks. Most often, with their participation, cars disappeared from the central part of Sofia, in the morning hours. In 76% of cases, the vehicles had regional registration. It is noteworthy that, as it turned out later, while the cars were being loaded onto the platforms, the criminals calmly walked around in uniforms corresponding to the "performance" and communicated with passers-by. When asked, they replied that they regretted that they were forced to take the car for improper parking.

Often, the tow truck took away technically defective cars left by the owners. If the owner left his car, for example, in search of help, then by the time he returned, the vehicle often disappeared from the place of breakdown in an unknown direction. In case the car owner suddenly turns out to be nearby, the thieves had all the necessary "documents" prepared. Let us clarify that the "evacuation scheme" was common in Bulgaria at the beginning of last year. Whether law enforcement officers managed to eliminate it as of today is unknown.

It is not necessary to steal

Source: webnews.bg

This is what Bulgarian car thieves recently judged and began to use another scheme. According to the testimonies eyewitnesses, announced in the press in the spring of 2017, criminals began to widely use new special means. With their help, the bandits began to rob cars during short stops – while their owners are shopping, taking children to schools, kindergartens, etc. When the car owner activates the "central locking" function with the button on the key fob, the thieves remotely turn it off and the lock does not work. "I closed the car, went out to do some shopping, and then went to

Hal home. And only there I noticed that my computer, left in the trunk, was missing," said one of the victims. The police confirmed that the problem in such cases is not in the forgetfulness of the driver, but there is a relatively new scheme of car crimes. They also reported that the devices with the help of which such offenses can be easily purchased on the Internet. Their radius of action is about 10-15 meters.

What to do and how to protect yourself?

We will traditionally borrow the answers to these questions from Bulgarian specialists. The first thing you need to do if you discover the loss of your car is to come to the nearest police station, having a registration certificate (technical ticket) with you. There you will need to write a statement, setting out as accurately as possible all the circumstances under which the theft occurred. If the car is insured, then you cannot postpone the call to the insurance company. You can also place data about the car on the special website and "launch" information on social networks, but the effectiveness of such actions, as a rule, is not high. It is still better to try to prevent car theft by all available means. To do this, it is important to know which of them local specialists consider the most effective.

Expert in the field of auto transport

Sports and Racing Sportsman Rumen Dunev believesthat the most effective remedy against thieves is an immobilizer. These additional devices can be connected to the car's ignition system and to the automatic transmission. Often cars are already equipped with "standard" factory immobilizers, but, according to the expert, experienced car thieves "break" them without any problems in a few minutes. Therefore, additional devices with the so-called "running" frequency are in high demand on the Bulgarian market. The cost of one additional modern immobilizer together with the installation costs the car owner an average of BGN 200-300.

To complicate the task for car criminals who are hunting for individual parts of the car, the expert advises to fasten everything that can be removed from the car relatively quickly with special bolts, which can only be unscrewed with a special tool. Most often, this applies to the wheels, headlights and battery. A separate technology prevents the removal of another expensive part of the car – the catalytic converter. In addition, according to experts, the following List of actions can help you protect your car from theft and theft of individual parts:

• If you have a garage, do not be lazy to drive the car inside. Then, most likely, both the car itself and its components will remain intact;
• Wash the car and make sure that it always has a well-groomed appearance. This will give the impression that the owner cares not only about the exterior, but also about the security system;
• Stick a sticker in a visible place warning about the presence of an alarm in the car. It is forbidden to glue them to the glass, but this can be done on the outside of the rear-view mirror;
• Never leave any electronic devices or personal belongings in plain sight. They can provoke potential criminals to commit an offense;
• Do not rely on devices such as a lock on the steering wheel. It is better to install a manual transmission blocker and an additional device that blocks the ignition system;
• hide the VIN number from prying eyes. Using it, car thieves can pick up "electronic" keys to your car;
• install a GPS system ("beacon"). This can help not only in finding a stolen car, but also prove the uncleanliness of car repairmen or washers. There are cases when the owner who left the car at a car wash or service station subsequently receives a speeding ticket with pictures of his car in places where he has never been;
• It is highly recommended to hide the license plate when you advertise a car for sale. Some auto gangs specialize in such cars. It often happens that they send their representative "for inspection", but in fact, to get acquainted with the vehicle live, after which they plan illegal actions;
• Always close the car when you leave it. Even if they jumped out "just for a minute". If you don't, then 30 seconds may be enough for thieves to steal or rob the car;
• Park your car overnight only in well-lit areas. Even if you have to walk a few extra meters to the house.

On our own behalf, we add that you should not trust the first person you meet if you need help on the road. Last winter in Bulgaria, the story of a woman who trusted an unknown man to "free" her car from a snow drift made a splash. He got behind the wheel, drove out and… I drove on. By the way, it is women in expensive cars who very often become victims of car criminals. They tend to leave things in a visible place, and sometimes not even turn off the engine if they need to "go out for a minute". They tend not to drive inside the garage, but to leave the car in front of it, etc.

Please share your own experience and tips in the comments.

Based on materials: dnes.bg, capital.bg, standartnews.com, petel.bg, bgonair.bg, btvnovinite.bg, avtomoto.bg, nova.bg, bnt.bg.

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