VIDEO: Thieves have a new tactic
Criminals are targeting people as they park their cars. A private investigator explains the modus operandi.
More and more criminals are targeting drivers, especially women, as they enter parking lots in Pretoria and Johannesburg.
A recent viral video shows a woman parking her white VW Polo at a petrol garage. A man is seen hanging around her car just as she drives into the parking space. He walks around the car, checking to see if she notices him. As she exits her car, in a perfectly timed move, he opens the rear, left-hand door, and casually walks away.
The women then presses the lock on her car, assuming that it has locked, and walks away. After a short while, the man returns, opens the car door, and rummages through the car, taking what he wants. When he finally closes the door, the car locks, and all evidence of his theft is wiped away.
A private investigator from Intelligence Bureau SA said there had been an alarming increase in this type of crime.
“The past few months, we have seen a sharp increase in the number of incidents like this in parking lots, as well as remotes being jammed. These criminals tend to target unsuspecting women busy parking their cars, often as they get their handbag and get ready to exit the car,” he said.
“They operate like the man in the video, or they pull up next to a person in a parking area. In the case of the latter, there are a few offenders. One will reach out from the passenger side and open the door to the car, only ever so slightly, just enough to ensure that the door doesn’t lock. Then, when you walk way, they steal what they like.”
He urged people, especially women, to be extra vigilant when parking their cars. “Please ensure that all of your doors are locked when you leave your car, and if you see anything suspicious, report it to the authorities.”
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