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"Look at the above four photographs," begins the article in Friday (Feb 12). Taken by a security camera on the night of Aug 11 at a parking lot in a residential area of Nagoya, the photos are grainy and lacking in detail, but clearly show a group of car thieves in the process of making off with a black Toyota Lexus.
In photo 1, three men descend from their own vehicle in front of the Lexus. In the second, a man wearing a light-colored hoodie uses a power drill to open a hole in the driver's side door. In picture 3, the man inserts an instrument into the hole and unlocks the door. Soon afterwards he starts the motor. The fourth photo shows him driving off in the car.
"We understand how he pulled it off," says Manabu Kato, president of a company that manufactures car security systems. As Kato explains, "For some reason the alarm in the car didn't go off, but neighbors heard suspicious noises and called the police. This particular car was a 2015 model that the owner purchased used in 2019 for about 4 million yen. It was a really nice car, and I feel infuriated at the thieves."
The thieves' method involved first drilling a hole of about two or three centimeters diameter next to the door lock, Kato continues. "This enabled access to the governor motor and wiring, so the lock mechanism could be released. Then by using a key programmer to make contact with the engine computer, he could start the motor."
Apparently key programmer devices can be easily procured overseas. Still, a certain level of technological finesse is needed to override the car's security mechanism.
"Of course just being able to release the door lock the way the thieves did isn't enough to override the anti-theft system," a seller of key programmer units tells Friday."That's where the key programmer comes in. It captures the smart key identification data that is needed to start the engine, and replicates it, which enables the motor to be started."
Apparently auto theft among high-end passenger cars has become a serious problem. According to data from the Aichi Prefectural Police, Lexus models occupied three of the top five cars most often stolen. "The number of Lexus models reported stolen rose from 51 in 2019 to 119 in 2020," a police source tells the magazine. That number may seem small, but it works out to one Lexus out of every five in Aichi Prefecture getting ripped off.
Why are more high-end cars being stolen? Kato believes that several gangs have been sharing data on ways to steal the Lexus LX.
"The coronavirus pandemic also has something to do with it, since more people are staying at home, and driving less," he says. "The stolen cars are broken down and their parts exported to Thailand, Vietnam or the Middle East, so they can't be recovered.
"For an outlay of just 3% of what they pay for an expensive car, it makes sense to purchase a good anti-theft system," he adds. "In addition to sounding a loud alarm, it will lock the steering wheel and tires. It's also effective to keep the car inside a shuttered garage that can be locked, and equip it with a GPS position tracking system."
If you value your car, don't put off anti-theft measures until it's too late, the magazine advises.
© Japan Today
19 Comments
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Mr Kipling
These are foreign gangs committing these crimes. An important point the article negates to mention.
Strangerland
The article should speculate? Do you suppose anyone would replace your complaint with one about speculation, if they were to mention your point?
Mr Kipling
Everyone in car export trade knows about this. Export of cars, parts and motorcycles is too easy. Very few checks if any. I could tell you the nationality of those involved in the majority of cases but it would be deleted.
Jtsnose
. . . the photo of the thieves is gone?
Peeping_Tom
Given that I do not know what political correctness is:
The biggest gangs are.
Nigerians
Russians
Pakistanis
Sri Lankans (who would have thought?)
Burmese
All recorded; anyone without an anti-Japanese bias and agenda can find it out.
Just Google it.
Hate Japan first.
"Think" later.
If at all.
zurcronium
Is a 2005 Ipsum at risk?
Mr Kipling
Peeping...... Bingo!
gokai_wo_maneku
If these guys are smart enough to pull this off, why can't they get a regular job in security or engineering?
NCIS Reruns
Or politics...
Mr Kipling
Citizensmith..... I can assure you the organized gangs stealing cars for export are, almost entirely not Japanese.
Other crimes are a different subject.
These cars are heading to Nigeria, Pakistan and Thailand.
Japan does not require chassis numbers or engine numbers to be checked and the arrival countries are blinded by corruption making these crimes all too easy.
William Bjornson
I keep close watch on my 1995 Isuzu Rodeo and I wouldn't trade it for a Lexus. It's the most agile vehicle I have ever driven other than my first two cars, both Bugeye Sprites. Flipped the first one, lost a front wheel on the second. Ah, youth. And next came a 1961 Citroen DS. I would trade my Rodeo for that DS but I threw a rod and couldn't afford to fix it even if I had been able to find a mechanic in America to work on it. But Lexi (Lexae?) have never interested me. They're more for the neat eyebrow and correct outfit sort of which I have never been accused nor desired to be. In fact, I've just learned the word 'hankotsu' from Kameishi Michiko and it immediately became my favorite word. Anyway, if there is any major ripoff in the car business, it is the idea of 'Luxury Cars', that anyone cares in a positive way what kind of car a person chooses and is willing to waste many thousands of dollars to project a lie. I just do not understand Human choices...why buy a car that has to be handcuffed to your wrist to avoid theft? And another'?'. sigh
BertieWooster
I never lock my battered old Daihatsu Move and nobody lays a finger on it. It beats me why people would spend the amount of money it would cost to buy a house on a car.
BurakuminDes
The cars will likely end up in various parts of Asia and Russia. But if you dont think Japanese gangsters and crooked officials are also involved, especially at the shipping stage, you are very naiive.
BTW, the Toyota Hi-Ace was for years the most stolen vehicle in Japan. It seems that has changed?
Peeping_Tom
"But if you dont think Japanese gangsters and crooked officials are also involved, especially at the shipping stage, you are very naiive."
Nigerians (~and other African gangs) are very active in stealing cars all over the UK.
Nigerian gangs specialise in nicking mobile phones too!
Destination: Africa.
They do all the staling, storage, and shipping themselves.
No British bent officials or other crooks involved, as the Nigerians are quite capable/.
Apparently, only the Japanese do.!
saitamaboy
Vietnam Thailand and the middle east? thats a bit rich! htf would you know that? and wheres the middle east anyhow? these parts ending up in Tel Aviv？
FizzBit
So glad these low lifes are not interested in my 1999 Honda HR-V, paid ¥350,000, for it 6 years ago and still running like a champ. Humans are so crazy sometimes.
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