Following a wave of thefts, the police are now issuing a warning to owners of expensive cars in the Stockholm area. This concerns primarily Land Rover and Mercedes.

Just last week, four luxury cars were stolen in northern Stockholm. Before that, several reports were also received by Police Region East where similar vehicles were stolen in much the same way. The cars being targeted are exclusive SUV models from brands such as Land Rover and Mercedes.

According to the police, the nature of the crimes and their frequent occurrence indicate that international gangs are behind the thefts. They tend to move from area to area, committing crimes in one place and then moving on to do the same in the next, and there is now a risk that they will continue stealing luxury cars in the Stockholm area.

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Exactly how the thefts are carried out is unclear, but they show that the thieves are able to take the cars without access to the keys.

– In light of the thefts that have occurred, we want to encourage the public to be vigilant if you see or hear anything suspicious. This applies especially if you are the owner of a Mercedes or Land Rover SUV, but also other more expensive car models, says Emma Frodelius, Section Chief for Mobile Border Control at the Border Police Unit in Stockholm.

Just the Beginning

Warnings are also coming from other directions.

– Our interpretation is that this is the start of a series of thefts. Gangs are often focused on a particular car brand or model. And when they choose a certain model, it has to do with what tools they have available to target that specific car, says Fredrik Lindstedt, investigator at Larmtjänst, to TV4.

According to Lindstedt, there are tools that allow you to program your own key, so there is reason to review theft protection and keep the car in a garage.

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