Cyprus is among the top five destinations for stolen cars in the UK. The island accounted for 6.7% of all stolen cars recovered between 2021 and 2024, according to a joint study by Thatcham Research and the UK's National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS).
The leader of the ranking was the Democratic Republic of the Congo (38.5%), followed by the UAE (20.1%), Cyprus (6.7%), Jamaica (5.7%) and Georgia (5.1%). The study takes a detailed look at the international routes used by organized crime networks to smuggle premium SUVs and their parts.
Thanks to its strategic location in the center of the Mediterranean, Cyprus serves as an intermediate point for the shipment of vehicles and components to the countries of the Middle East and North Africa. An additional factor was that both Cyprus and Jamaica drive on the left, which makes British cars ideal in specification.
There is an acute shortage of right-hand drive used cars in the domestic market of Cyprus. This increases interest in stolen SUVs with rich British trim levels. The island is also used as an export hub: cars are dismantled for parts or resold to other Mediterranean countries.
In Jamaica, according to the study, high import duties further stimulate illegal trade.
DR Congo took first place due to its central position in Africa, the presence of a port and borders with nine countries. In the UAE, in the spring of 2024, large-scale floods caused a shortage of popular SUVs, which sharply intensified criminal networks.
In Georgia, the surge in demand is associated with the departure of official dealers and sanctions - the flow of cars and spare parts intended for Russia has increased. Truck thefts especially increased: from 4.71% in 2023 to 16.78% in 2024.
Despite having one of the most advanced car security systems in the world, in 2024, one car was stolen in the UK every five minutes. Premium and luxury brands accounted for 52% of stolen vehicles, 79% were SUVs.
Insurance payments for stolen cars reached £640 million for the year.
According to Richard Billield, head of research at Thatcham Research, criminal gangs today have more money, better equipment and a global network. He emphasized that technological protection of cars alone is not enough - coordinated actions of the state, car manufacturers and the insurance market are necessary.
Source: in-cyprus.philenews.com
