High-tech heists - Organised syndicates fuel surge in vehicle theft

It was as if the vehicles vanished into thin air — some in under 60 seconds — leaving owners and investigators stunned by the thieves’ speed and precision.

The criminals have remained relentless, targeting communities including Hope Pastures, Karachi and Mona in St Andrew, along with sections of Greater Portmore in St Catherine, Barnett Street in St James, and sections of Ochi Rios, St Ann, almost nightly.

Public parking lots and shopping centres remain hotspots. But for residents of the aforementioned communities, the crisis has become even more alarming — vehicles are being stolen directly outside their homes.

“I feel violated. I feel exposed. I don’t think they just drove through the neighbourhood and picked my car. I feel like I was cased,” said Greater Portmore resident Kenesha Jones*, whose Honda Fit was stolen from her driveway during the early hours of May 8.

“It was in my driveway, and when I opened the door, all I saw was empty space. I just stood there in shock asking myself, ‘Weh mi cyar deh?’”

Maddock said neither she nor her neighbours heard or saw anything unusual, despite the houses being closely adjoined.

“I think they knew exactly what they came for. Since then, I don’t know who to trust,” she said.

“I recently did work on the car, and now I’m suspicious of everybody — the mechanic, people in the community, workmen, even salesmen passing through selling water. That’s the level of distrust.”

In just 43 days, between January 1 and February 12, some 123 motor vehicles were stolen or broken into across the island, resulting in an estimated $221 million in losses. Data for the following months are still being compiled.

Investigators say it matters little whether the vehicles are key- or push-start, high-end or low-end, manual or automatic. Some 51 per cent of the stolen vehicles had anti-theft devices.

Still, the thieves got away.

Only 14 of the 123 stolen vehicles were recovered, with a combined value of just under $30 million.

“They are beating us... . The numbers are terrible,” admitted Superintendent Mark Harris, commanding officer for the St Andrew Central Police Division, regarded as the island’s car theft hotspot.

"The police remain relentless, but in the past they used to break into cars and hotwire them. They don’t do that any more. They buy devices online that don’t even need keys,” he explained. “They come with computers, remove your system and use theirs to start the car. That doesn’t even take three minutes,” Harris added, recounting a recent theft captured on surveillance footage.

“The man passed, tested the car door, went up the road and came back, pressed something, and pulled the car. Within minutes it was gone.”

Police believe the syndicates behind the thefts are large, highly organised and technologically sophisticated.

Among the tools now being used are Flipper and Zero multi-tool devices, which relay signals, clone key fobs and exploit weaknesses in wireless systems. Investigators also pointed to the Autel device, used to clone key fobs, bypass immobilisers, reprogramme electronic control units and unlock vehicles. Both are readily available online for between US$120 and US$200.

Some stolen vehicles are stripped for parts, while others are cloned — their chassis numbers, licence plates and documents altered before being resold.

White, grey and black vehicles are the preferred targets, with Toyotas, Hondas, Nissans, Subarus, Mazdas and BMWs, as well as motorcycles, among the most frequently stolen. The victims are mostly female between 26 and 46 years old.

Investigators in Portmore — the Caribbean’s largest residential community — said some 60 vehicles have been stolen there since January.

In addition to homes in Greater Portmore and Silverstone, shopping centres and weekly entertainment events have also become hunting grounds for thieves.

“It is almost like they are stealing a vehicle a day, and it appears planned. Even when we park with the blue lights flashing, they watch us, and the minute we leave, the vehicle is gone. It takes seconds,” said a member of the police’s rapid response team in Greater Portmore.

“Any time there is a big event in Portmore, you can almost expect it. And they are stealing every kind of vehicle now,” the policeman added.

The Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC) noted that victims whose vehicles are stolen from public parking lots — particularly those displaying ‘Park at your own risk’ signs — could face a difficult legal battle.

“Exclusion of liability clauses, including ‘Park at your own risk’ disclaimers, constitute a complex area of law,” the CAC said, in response to queries.

While such clauses may be legally binding if properly incorporated, the commission noted that Jamaican courts have historically interpreted them narrowly, particularly where the wording is ambiguous or unreasonable.

There are currently more than 255 alleged car thieves and robbers before the courts for offences committed since the start of the year.

Among them are three men arrested on Municipal Boulevard in Portmore after police intercepted a rental vehicle they were travelling in and reportedly found an illegal gun and devices used to steal motor vehicles in February.

But while police wage their nightly battle, victims like Jones are left trying to rebuild a sense of normality.

“I’ve been driving for 30 years. Whether to run errands or pick up family, the only thing I used to think about was where my keys were,” she said.

“Now I have to be strategic about every move I make.”

*Name changed

corey.robinson@gleanerjm.com