726 car thefts occurred in KSA in a single month

Hazim Al-Mutairy & Mohammed Al-Abdullah RIYADH/DAMMAM — Saudi security authorities were successful in finding 261 of the 726 stolen cars in different parts of the Kingdom during November 2016, a statistical report said, while raising fears about the growing number of car thefts that take place across the country. The report comes amid complications created by car insurance companies on providing compensation to owners of stolen cars. However, the report said stealing of cars has not become a phenomenon in the Kingdom like London, which has been nicknamed as the capital of car thefts. Over 60 vehicles a day were stolen across London in five years, with Redbridge the borough where motorists were most likely to have their car pinched. Figures obtained by IBTimes UK show there were 118,567 vehicle thefts across the capital between 2010 and 2014. According to the National Center for Security Operations in Saudi Arabia, which presented the report, Riyadh topped the list of car thefts with 261 stolen cars, followed by Makkah region 142 and Eastern Province 121. The rise in car thefts in the three cities was mainly due to their high population. The Northern Border Province and Baha recorded the lowest number of car thefts, the report said, adding that police registered only one case in the first region and three cases in the second. Comprehensive car insurance policy covers stealing of cars while third party insurance does not cover the crime. The comprehensive policy also covers cars of other parties, the report explained. The director of an insurance company in Dammam, who requested anonymity, said insurance companies calculate compensation considering the market value of the stolen car at the time of the crime, its depreciation and other factors. “Insurance companies will provide compensation if the car was taken away by force or after violence, and will not if the car was given voluntarily or the owner was cheated. They will also demand a police report on the crime,” another insurance company manager said. Some companies demand three security lookouts on the stolen vehicle while others demand two police circulars. “The demand for more police circulars was to increase chances to locate the vehicle by patrol police and reduce chances of cheating,” an insurance official told Okaz/Saudi Gazette. He said insurance companies uncovered a number of pseudo car theft claims over the past years. Stolen vehicles are used mainly for joyride and selling their parts. Strict punishment will be given to shops that sell car spare parts, which they have bought from thieves and unauthorized sources.