New theft item: Gang steals airbags from Toyota Innova
Thieves have broken into 4 Toyota Innova cars in less than a week and have looted away the safety kits, airbags, accessories and stereo systems worth Rs3 lakhs per car.
Remember the time when car decks and speaker used to be stolen from building colonies with expensive and easy to break-in cars.
This is something different. A gang in Bengaluru, with a eye for airbags fitted inside Toyota cars has targeted four roadside locations in the city in less than a week. They have robbed the cars off airbags, AC controllers and other accessories after smashing front-seat windows. The thefts have puzzled car owners and cops as thieves generally go for stereo systems and tyres of SUVs that fetch a good price in the black market.
Businessman Somashekar’s Toyota Innova was targeted by this gang last week.
After returning from work, the 36-year-old had parked it in front of his home on Sixth Main Road, Pramod Layout, on October 11. The next morning, he found that someone had broken into the vehicle and stolen car accessories worth Rs 3 lakh. “The thieves removed the two airbag kits, audio system, AC controllers, starting and mirror kits, and the sunglasses holder,” Somashekar said. “This is the first time I have come across thieves who steal airbags. I am sure they had proper knowledge of Innova’s accessories.”
The thieves removed the airbags and other items without creating a mess. “They must be mechanics or former employees of a garage or a service centre. Average crooks cannot pull off a job so neatly,” Somashekar said. “When I went to a service centre on Mysore Road, the staff told me that this was the fourth complaint about airbag theft that they had received.” Not a single wire was cut. They undid all the clips and screws that held the accessories in place. These were professionals who knew what they were doing.
Airbags are an expensive feature, that manufactures are now offering on almost every car. Modern airbags can cost more than Rs. 1 lakh. Thieves steal the airbags to sell them at a cheap price in the black market. This is not an isolated incident that happened in India. Sometime back, thieves in the USA started targeting Honda cars to steal airbag systems. Such airbags are available at a cheap price online.
About 50 metres from his residence, a Toyota Innova Crysta owned by Peenyaresident Suhas S Kaushik was broken into and ransacked.
An officer at the Byatarayanapura police station said they reviewed CCTV footage from the area, but didn’t get any leads on the suspects. “We suspect that they supplied the stolen items to some car accessories stores on JC Road.
We are making enquiries there and the suspects will be nabbed soon,” he said.
What is your take on incidents like these. There are not many who will steal airbags out of the same car. Do you have anymore leads or information? Have you seen similar cases before? Tell us below.
It might be a right lesson for the people who are doing on road parking of their vehicles, which were supposed to be kept in safe custody .At least after after hearing such news if people avoids on roadside parking , its a great reform in their life style. People those who don’t have a parking space at their homes use only hired cars as many agencies are there for our service. Police team should not waste their valuable time for such incidents .