VEHICLE-RELATED CRIMES
The term ‘vehicle crime’ refers to the theft and trafficking of vehicles and the illicit trade in spare parts. These activities affect personal property, businesses, the economy, and public safety in all regions of the world. The organized theft of motor vehicles, while of immediate concern to the individual owner, also has a financial implication for insurance companies, is damaging to the reputation of car manufacturers, and – in most cases – is linked to other organized crime operations. For organized criminal groups, the acquisition, shipment, and trade of stolen vehicles is a low-risk way to make profits. Stolen vehicles are frequently trafficked to finance and carry out other criminal activities, ranging from drug trafficking, arms dealing, people smuggling, and international terrorism.
Additionally, the illicit market in spare parts is a lucrative source of income for criminal organizations and offers them many practical uses. Not only does this phenomenon have a financial impact on the industry, but it also puts drivers in danger as illicit spare parts are likely to fall below recognized safety standards. In recent years, the use of the Internet has contributed to a dramatic increase in the resale of illicit vehicle components, making this an issue of major concern for law enforcement, car manufacturers, regulatory bodies, and public health organizations across the world.
- Car Bombings:
The 1993 Bombay bombings were a series of 12 terrorist bombings that took place in Bombay, Maharashtra, on 12 March 1993. The single-day attacks resulted in 257 fatalities and 1,400 injuries. At 13:30 hours on 12 March 1993, a powerful car bomb exploded in the basement of the Bombay Stock Exchange building. The 28-storey office building was severely damaged and many nearby office buildings also suffered damage. Reports indicate that 50 were killed by this explosion. About 30 minutes later, another car bomb exploded in front of the Mandvi branch of Corporation Bank. From 13:30 hours to 15:40 hours a total of 12 bombs exploded throughout Mumbai. Most of the bombs were car bombs but some were in scooters.
Three hotels – the Hotel Sea Rock, Hotel Juhu Centaur, and Hotel Airport Centaur – were targeted by suitcase bombs left in rooms booked by the perpetrators. Banks, the regional passport office, the Air India Building, and a major shopping complex were also hit. Bombs exploded at Zaveri Bazaar and opposite it, a jeep bomb exploded at the Century Bazaar. Grenades were thrown at Sahar International Airport and Fishermen’s Colony, targeting certain citizens at the latter. A double-decker bus was very badly damaged in the deadliest explosion, with as many as 90 people killed.
The attacks were coordinated by Dawood Ibrahim, leader of the Mumbai-based international organized crime syndicate D-Company. Ibrahim was believed to have ordered and helped organize the bombings through his subordinates, Tiger Memon and Yakub Memon. Intelligence reports had already confirmed to him that Mumbai’s Muslim underworld (known as the “D-Company”, a reference to Dawood Ibrahim) were the perpetrators of the serial blasts.
The Supreme Court of India gave its judgment on 21 March 2013, after over 20 years of judicial proceedings, upholding the death sentence against suspected ringleader Yakub while commuting the previous death sentences against 10 others to life in prison. However, two of the main suspects in the case, Ibrahim and Tiger, have not yet been arrested or tried. After India’s three-judge Supreme Court bench rejected his curative petition, saying the grounds raised by him do not fall within the principles laid down by the apex court in 2002, the Maharashtra government executed Yakub on 30 July 2015.
- Vehicle Theft:
- VIN scams:
Every motor vehicle comes with a VIN number or a Vehicle Identification Number. These numbers are not difficult to find – they are printed right on the front of the car. It is what can be done with these numbers that are a bit trickier. For one, a VIN number can be switched to disguise the identity of a stolen vehicle. Typically, a thief would take the VIN number from another similar make and model of car and design fraudulent plates and registrations to use on the stolen car. Thieves can also find salvaged vehicles, which are vehicles that have essentially been doomed to the junkyard, then steal a functioning car and claim that the VIN number from the salvaged vehicle was the one from the stolen car. If this sounds complicated, that’s because it is. A high level of forethought must go into committing this type of crime.
- Selling stolen car parts:
When criminals steal car parts, they often replace worn, damaged, or other defective parts with the stolen parts to sell them. There is a term for this type of business in the motor vehicle theft world, and it is called a chop shop. This is an illegal garage that buys stolen cars, disassembles them, and either puts parts in other cars or sells the individual parts. Owning, operating, and conducting the business of a “chop shop” is a felony charge, punishable by imprisonment for no less than three years and no more than ten years, by a fine of no more than $100,000, or both.
- Auto dealer fraud:
Auto dealer fraud is a general term that refers to deceptive and unlawful practices by automobile dealers. Vehicle fraud can occur at any stage of the vehicle purchase process, from false advertisements to deceptive negotiations or unethical vehicle pricing and financing terms. It is a major investment to purchase an automobile, and those in the market for a car would do well to look out for these types of scams. Types of auto dealer fraud scams include:
- Raising the purchase price above the sticker price
- Falsely stating that option additions to the vehicle are required
- Undervaluing or underpaying for a trade-in vehicle
- Claiming that a warranty offers protection that it does not offer
- Falsely representing a used vehicle
- Withholding essential information about a new or used vehicle
- Failing to disclose past damage from an accident in a used car sale
- Misrepresenting a consumer’s credit score or eligibility for financing
- Backdating new financing documents to the original purchase date
- Letting the consumer drive off the lot with a vehicle believing that a loan application is pending and having them return to sign a more expensive loan
- Carjacking:
Carjacking is a specific type of robbery involving a motor vehicle. Carjacking is considered both a federal and a state crime. For a crime to be considered carjacking, it must involve stealing a motor vehicle that was in the possession or presence of another person. The vehicle must have been taken against their will with the intent to deprive them of their rightful possession permanently or temporarily. Another aspect of carjacking is that it involves force, fear, or threat of immediate bodily harm.
- Opportunistic car theft:
Opportunistic theft is a particularly duplicitous type of car theft that involves stealing a parked or running car that has been left unattended, but with the keys visible or accessible. Opportunistic car theft is one of the most common types of car theft, but because of that, it is one of the most preventable. Car owners who want to prevent opportunistic thieves from taking advantage of their parked cars should always remove valuables from their vehicles, park safely, remove portable accessories and other visible pieces of technology, and update their cars with an alarm system.
- Vehicle-ramming attack:
A vehicle-rammingattack is an assault in which a perpetrator deliberately rams a vehicle into a building, a crowd of people, or another vehicle. According to Stratfor Global Intelligence analysts, this attack represents a relatively new militant tactic that could prove more difficult to prevent than suicide bombings.
Deliberate vehicle-ramming into a crowd of people is a tactic used by terrorists, becoming a major terrorist tactic in the 2010s because it requires little skill to perpetrate, cars and trucks are widely available, and it has the potential to cause significant casualties. Deliberate vehicle ramming has also been carried out in the course of other types of crimes, including road rage incidents. Deliberate vehicle-ramming incidents have also sometimes been ascribed to the driver’s psychiatric disorder.
Vehicles have also been used by attackers to breach buildings with locked gates, before detonating explosives, as in the Saint-Quentin-Fallavier attack.
- Drunk Driving:
Drunk driving is a very serious offense that can lead to some major consequences. Depending on the laws of your state, a person is generally considered to be legally intoxicated if they have a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08% or 0.10%. If a person chooses to operate a motor vehicle after drinking alcohol or taking drugs that impair their senses, then it can result in having to face many legal ramifications, such as getting ticketed, criminally fined, arrested, and charged for driving while intoxicated (DWI), or the more commonly known term, driving under the influence (DUI).
While an individual who has been charged with drunk driving usually only receives a misdemeanor for their first offense, they can still be charged with a felony if they have injured another person or caused property damage. A person may also face felony charges if it was not their first drunk driving offense. Additionally, though most states will charge a drunk driver with a DUI, every state has its own set of criteria for what is deemed a drunk driving offense, as well as different varieties of potential charges that may apply.
Finally, it is important to note that drunk driving is more than just a mere traffic citation; it is considered a criminal offense. As such, if you are convicted of a drunk driving offense, it will appear on your criminal record.
PREVENTION OF VEHICLE CRIMES:
- General car crimes:
• Restrict pedestrian traffic throughout the parking facility.
• Install video surveillance throughout the parking facility.
• Keep parking facility clean and well maintained.
• Improve surveillance by keeping shrubs and trees well-manicured.
• If thefts occur during hours of darkness, install or improve lighting.
- Theft of cars:
• the Reduce number of entrance/exit points
• Install entrance/exit barriers
• Require use of a ticket for exit even if no parking fee is charged
• If thefts occur after business hours, restrict parking after those hours
• If thefts occur during hours of darkness, improve lighting in and around the parking facility
• Promote the use of steering column locks, kill switches, brake pedal locks, or other security devices to your employees
• Hire a parking attendant or security guard to patrol the facility
• Introduce bike patrols to patrol facility
- Theft from cars:
• Post signs to encourage drivers to protect themselves, for example: “Prevent theft: lock your car and hide valuables out of sight.”
• Post warning signs to deter potential perpetrators, for example: “This area is under surveillance for your safety.”
• If thefts occur after business hours, restrict parking after those hours
• If thefts occur during hours of darkness, improve lighting in and around the parking facility
• Secure the perimeter with fencing that allows for surveillance
• Hire a parking attendant or security guard to patrol the facility
• Introduce bike patrols to patrol facility