Beware Keyless car Theft !

First for West Midlands Police

First for West Midlands Police as pursuit ends in seizure of hi-tech car crime gadgetsWest Midlands Police is hot on the heels of high-tech car thieves, as new images show what are believed to be the first ‘relay’ devices in the country to be recovered from criminals.The gadgets, which allow crooks to steal cars without even seeing the keys, were uncovered after a police chase in Birmingham city centreRelay crime made international news last month when West Midlands Police released what was believed to be the first footage of its kind in the region showing two relay criminals at work.In the footage, one of the men can be seen waving a box in front of a house in Solihull. The box received a signal from the key inside and transmitted it to a second box being held next to the car. The car’s systems are then tricked into thinking that the key is present and so it unlocked.The thieves then drive off, with the whole crime taking just one minute.Now, the force has released images showing similar equipment seized following the city centre pursuit last month, although there is no evidence linking the recovery directly to the Solihull theft.The chance find happened after PC Mitch Darby became suspicious of a Peugeot being driven on Landor Street in Birmingham city centre at around 4.15am on 2 November.PC Darby tried to pull it over, but gave chase when the car, being driven by Martynas Auga, accelerated away.Auga, aged 32, went the wrong way down a one-way street towards four lanes of oncoming traffic at Moor Street Queensway.Officers stopped the pursuit because of the potential risk to the public, but found the vehicle just 20 seconds later, abandoned on the wrong side of the road at the junction of Albert Street.Get more info on car crime prevention here – https://www.west-midlands.police.uk/node/552#preventionIt was on false plates, but police found the relay equipment in a rucksack in the car, along with two sets of number plates, two mobile phones and a bag of tools.Auga, of no fixed address, left his Lithuanian driving licence and ID in the car and handed himself in to Digbeth police station a few days later.When officers later tested the devices, they were able to drive away cars without the use of keys. Auga declined to answer police questions about whether he was involved in the keyless theft of cars.On Monday 11 December he was jailed for 18 months after admitting going equipped to steal, dangerous driving, driving without a licence and failing to stop.He was also banned from driving for 18 months.PC Darby said: “This is certainly the first relay device recovered in the Midlands and I’m not aware of any others recovered nationally.“The recovery of this equipment should prevent further thefts of cars taking place and goes to show that we are on top of car thieves and will stay one step ahead of them as they adapt to new technology.”Mark Silvester, from the West Midlands Police crime reduction team, said: "To protect against this type of theft, owners can use an additional tested and Thatcham-approved steering lock to cover the entire steering wheel. "We also recommend Thatcham-approved tracking solutions fitted to the vehicle."It is always worth speaking to your main dealer, to ensure that your car has had all the latest software updates and talk through security concerns with them.".Credit: West Midlands Police

Posted by Idiot UK Drivers Exposed on Wednesday, January 10, 2018