Organised Vehicle Crime in Europe: Barriers to Prevent Vehicle Theft

Organised crime groups are increasingly involved in property crimes like motor vehicle theft throughout the EU. Despite ongoing initiatives to combat Organised Property Crime (OPC), there exists a limited understanding of the logistical processes involved in motor vehicle theft across EU Member States and Europe as a whole. V-BAR seeks to enhance this understanding by developing a barrier model that offers an overview and insight into MVT.

The present report discusses motor vehicle theft and stolen vehicle parts in six European states as well as the developed barrier model employed by V-BAR. The barrier model allows a systematic examination of the steps criminals take in committing a crime. The methodology encompasses seven steps: Entry, Stay, Infrastructure, Crime, Storage, Transport and trade, and Profit, providing a standardised framework for data collection across six EU countries, namely Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. At each step, we analyse the service providers, opportunities, and potential indicators of criminal activity. This process highlights the opportunity structures, enabling the identification of barriers that can disrupt criminal activities. The barrier model is a valuable tool for implementing preventive interventions and repressive measures to enhance security and impede the activities of criminals.

Read the full text: Organised vehicle crime in Europe Barriers to prevent vehicle theft and online distribution of stolen vehicles and vehicle parts