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If you are coming to Mumbai by a car, beware! the chances of your car being stolen, that too in the broad daylight, are very bright as the the city is witnessing a spurt in automobile theft. The costlier the car, the brighter the chances of being stolen by the auto-theft gangs.
There is nothing new here as, with its expensive cars, Mumbai has always been a lucrative playground for auto-theft gangs. But the number of vehicles stolen in 2010 is cause for worry. There is a resurgence in automobile theft: In the last six months alone, 2,826 vehicles have already been reported stolen. Last year, the number of cases registered was relatively lower at 2,639.
Imported models such as the Toyota Fortuner, Honda CRV, Mitsubhishi Outlander, and Pajero, Nissan-X- Trail, and the BMW's X5 are on the radar of these gangs. Besides, foreign SUVs that cost more than Rs 20 lakh are other prime targets.
Vehicles parked in open parking lots are more vulnerable. There is not much of recovery of your vehicles once it is picked up by these gangs as the percentage of recovery is hardly 10% as most of the vehicles stolen from Mumbai are immediately ferried to another state. The chassis number is altered, documents are forged, and the car is sold-often to an unsuspecting buyer.
