Thursday, May 11, 2006

Looking for your stolen car?

If so, maybe try Kenya or Uganda.

We've heard that many of our hijacked and stolen cars end up north in Africa. I must admit that I was surprised to hear that it is also the destination for stolen European cars.

But such is the scale of the problem that an Interpol-led raid in East Africa has led to a decrease in traffic on their roads!!

This all begs the question, how do these thousands of cars get across our borders?

'I didn't know it was stolen'
08/05/2006 09:20 - (SA)

Bogonko Bosire

Nairobi - An Interpol operation to recover thousands of stolen European and Asian cars in East Africa is easing congestion on the region's traffic-choked roads as fearful motorists leave their cars at home.

With Kenyan, Tanzanian and Ugandan police prowling for purloined Pajeros, Pathfinders and Preludes, luxury car owners who may have wittingly or unwittingly purchased a stolen vehicle are staying off the streets.

"I don't know whether mine is clean or not, but I'd rather not drive it and tempt fate," said Henry Ssemwanga, a Ugandan whose all-terrain, four-wheel drive Land Cruiser is among the models most targetted for spot checks.


More at News24.

4 comments:

ChittyChittyBangBang! said...

Everyone is in on it, I suspect. From the border officials to politicians.
What would Africa be without a few corrupt individuals?

It is the question said...

They were going to bring some sort of embedded tags into production so that as the car went across the border it could be scanned quickly as a check.

They should hurry up and do that. That would have a far bigger impact on hijackings and car theft than catching a few hijackers.

ChittyChittyBangBang! said...

Have you read the headlines about what is going on at Tracker?
The syndicates bribe employees with as little as R500.00!
I have a Netstar fitted to my car... makes me wonder how safe that is.

It is the question said...

Ditto on Netstar.

What I cannot believe about crime are the moral implications.

What kind of person holds down a "normal" job and then does something like selling Tracker info to a hijacking syndicate? Don't they lie awake at night wondering how many people have been killed as a result of their actions?

It's a big interest of mine in general. I'm thinking of going to a prison to interview a hijacker / farm murderer. I want to know their background and how they ended up in a downward moral spiral. I'd also like to speak to their parents.

A moral regeration movement is such an important thing -pity ours got headed up by the "alleged" biggest crook in government.