Wow
Massive stolen-car operation busted
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,574
Likes: 265
From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
This story ties right in with the posts I've made before about unscrupulous repair and body shops using stolen parts for repairs and then charging customers and insurance companies full-price for "factory" parts.
As far as I'm concerned, people who operate or support buisnesses like this belong in jail.
In fact, I'm surprised Canada even HAS jails....they seem to be one of those bleeding-heart, nobody-can-do-any-wrong societies, but, of course, that is a topic for another forum, not this one.
As far as I'm concerned, people who operate or support buisnesses like this belong in jail.
In fact, I'm surprised Canada even HAS jails....they seem to be one of those bleeding-heart, nobody-can-do-any-wrong societies, but, of course, that is a topic for another forum, not this one.
Last edited by mmarshall; May 4, 2007 at 06:35 AM.
CL Community Team
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 17,337
Likes: 213
From: Miami, Florida
In Mexico, stolen car parts business is so common here. There is a section of Mexico City called Los Doctores where literally as soon as enter the neighborhood, people will go up to your car and ask you what you need. I once went down there on the way to my exhaust shop and I guy said he could get anything I need for my RX300 within 10 minutes (oh...), but when I asked him to identify my vehicle the obvious answer was no.
Here, car parts can cost 30 to 50% more than equivalent parts in the U.S., so such a demand proliferates. The other day, the city police found a lot full of Nissan Tsurus (really an early 90s Sentras) and more common than the classic VW Beetle, and it had been operating ther for years, yet everyone thought it was a parking lot for cabs (since so many are Tsurus).
I remember a few years ago reading about a nice program Toyota Mexico had that would help with regard to stolen parts, but I can't remember the specifics, but they were certainly aware of it enough to offer it.
Here, car parts can cost 30 to 50% more than equivalent parts in the U.S., so such a demand proliferates. The other day, the city police found a lot full of Nissan Tsurus (really an early 90s Sentras) and more common than the classic VW Beetle, and it had been operating ther for years, yet everyone thought it was a parking lot for cabs (since so many are Tsurus).
I remember a few years ago reading about a nice program Toyota Mexico had that would help with regard to stolen parts, but I can't remember the specifics, but they were certainly aware of it enough to offer it.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,574
Likes: 265
From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
It is also well-known that many of the SUV's stolen in the U.S., especially the luxury and expensive ones, find their way to Mexico, not just for parts, but for re-sale to Mexicans who want something that will handle the off-road and semi off-road travel conditions (and the lousy PAVED roads) in much of the country, and who don't have the money, or don't want to spend it, on new SUV's.
Like with organized theft rings that steal for spare parts, there are rings who steal for this purpose....re-sale of the vehicle itself. Many of these SUV's have off-road capability, so they just find isolated, secure spots in the desert, on the U.S.-Mexican border where the INS and Customs people aren't watching, and drive right across.
Like with organized theft rings that steal for spare parts, there are rings who steal for this purpose....re-sale of the vehicle itself. Many of these SUV's have off-road capability, so they just find isolated, secure spots in the desert, on the U.S.-Mexican border where the INS and Customs people aren't watching, and drive right across.
Last edited by mmarshall; May 4, 2007 at 07:05 AM.
CL Community Team
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 17,337
Likes: 213
From: Miami, Florida
It is also well-known that many of the SUV's stolen in the U.S., especially the luxury and expensive ones, find their way to Mexico, not just for parts, but for re-sale to Mexicans who want something that will handle the off-road and semi off-road travel conditions (and the lousy PAVED roads) in much of the country, and who don't have the money, or don't want to spend it, on new SUV's.
Like with organized theft rings that steal for spare parts, there are rings who steal for this purpose....re-sale of the vehicle itself. Many of these SUV's have off-road capability, so they just find isolated, secure spots in the desert, on the U.S.-Mexican border where the INS and Customs people aren't watching, and drive right across.
Like with organized theft rings that steal for spare parts, there are rings who steal for this purpose....re-sale of the vehicle itself. Many of these SUV's have off-road capability, so they just find isolated, secure spots in the desert, on the U.S.-Mexican border where the INS and Customs people aren't watching, and drive right across.
It is quite easy to get a vehicle into Mexico, even with all of the border checks as papers and plates can be forged just to get across at the checkpoints located just south of the border. However, there are a lot of pickups down here still rolling on old Texas plates, since the annual car property taxes known as tenencias and the price of new vehices makes car ownership prohibitive for a majority of the population.
I also remember growing up in Miami that I had my nice Raleigh BMX stolen when I was 12 and a lot of bikes ended up going primarily to Haiti and to the Caribbean. You could literally go down to the Miami River and see boats filled with bicycles.
I hate crime. The U.S. may have guns and violence problems, but it seems the more 'peaceful' countries have horrible property crime problems. Britain is right up there in the world for property crime and vandalism. That's why they now have more surveillance cameras per capita than anywhere in the world.
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Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,574
Likes: 265
From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
I hate crime. The U.S. may have guns and violence problems, but it seems the more 'peaceful' countries have horrible property crime problems. Britain is right up there in the world for property crime and vandalism. That's why they now have more surveillance cameras per capita than anywhere in the world.
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