West Africa

What we really stress in the findings is the fact that it’s a certain make or model today, but if that gets engineered out [with technological advances to counter theft], or the demand shifts, it will be another tomorrow.”

Elijah Glantz, the report’s lead researcher, said organised crime groups had “shopping lists” of makes and models, and vehicle-specific technology to bypass security systems.

What the report depicts is an organised landscape characterised by sophisticated theft of vehicles and their parts across the UK. This is dramatically at odds with the historical landscape say 25 or 30 years ago."