Vehicle theft: Mumbai ranks fifth among six metros

For every car stolen in the city in 2023, 11 cars were stolen in Delhi-NCR, placing the national capital region at the top of the chart

MUMBAI: Mumbai ranks fifth amongst six metropolitan cities in India in terms of vehicle thefts, according to a report by insurance company ACKO. For every car stolen in the city in 2023, 11 cars were stolen in Delhi-NCR, placing the national capital region at the top of the chart.

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The report noted that as per the data provided by Mumbai police, 3,058 vehicles were stolen from the city in 2022. In 2023, the number decreased to 2,671. The police resolved 55% of the theft cases registered in the two years, successfully tracing 4,259 stolen vehicles.

In Delhi-NCR, one vehicle was stolen every 14 minutes in 2023 as 105 cases of vehicle theft were reported on average every day of the year. Chennai and Bengaluru witnessed a sharp spike in vehicle thefts, rising from 5% in 2022 to 10.5% in 2023 and 9% in 2022 to 10.2% in 2023, respectively. They were followed by Hyderabad, Mumbai and Kolkata.

According to police sources, many vehicles stolen from Mumbai were sent off to eastern India or Nepal, where the registration process was not digitised. In some cases, thieves took vehicles on rent and fled with them.

“Mumbai has always been a safe city where crimes have halved owing to the police maintaining strict discipline and residents adhering to rules. Unlike Delhi, which has adjoining states that make it easy to transport vehicles and sell spare parts in the resale market, Mumbai has geographical advantages that doesn’t allow this to happen,” said Animesh Das, chief executive officer (in-charge) at ACKO.

Even new-age cars equipped with advanced safety features such as keyless entry and barcodes on windshields are stolen as thieves scan the barcodes and share the scans with accomplices offshore to gain remote access and unlock the cars, said a company spokesperson.

Bike thefts too witnessed a 9.25-fold increase in 2023, the report stated. Hero Splendor, the highest selling bike in the country, topped the charts among stolen two-wheelers, followed by Honda Activa. The Royal Enfield Classic 350 also made a comeback in 2023 as a favourite amongst two-wheeler robbers. Honda Dio and Hero Passion were the new entrants on the list.