CAR thieves have, in recent weeks, begun to target specific vehicles in the Durban area, said W/O Leon Audh, the newly-appointed communications officer at the Greenwood Park SAPS.

According to Audh, the thieves have been targeting Kias and Hyundai H100 bakkies. On Wednesday, five of these vehicles were stolen in the Greenwood Park area alone, said Audh.

The most concerning fact, he said, was that the thieves strike at any time of the day. There have been no witnesses to the incidents and none of the stolen vehicles have been recovered.

The reasons behind the the sudden spike in thefts of these specific brands of cars is unknown at this stage.

The public is urged to take additional precautions to secure their possessions.

Audh suggests that the public ensures that their vehicles are parked and stored in secure areas at all times. He also suggested that they secure their vehicles with a gear-lock, alarm system and a tracking device.

“These options will not only make it harder for the thieves to steal your vehicle, but should they prove successful in doing so the tracking device will help authorities to recover the stolen vehicle,” he said.