should not be bought or kept on an open transfer letter.
The official advised vehicle owners to install extra locks and electronic anti-theft devices. He pointed out that overall, 80 percent vehicles are stolen and 20 percent snatched.
Identification numbers should be sand blasted on the front and rear wind screens of vehicle as thieves or snatchers can immediately switch number plates.
Motorists are bound by law as provided in Section 160-A of the West Pakistan Motor Vehicles Rules 1969 to sand blast numbers on the vehicles.
Vehicle owners should also paint the registration number on both sides of the vehicle doors – letters on the rear doors and digits on the front doors.
They should also only display the registration plates issued by the excise department.
Moreover, to identify vehicles confiscated from thieves or snatchers, owners should leave an identification mark at a place known only to them.
They should also hide their visiting cards, handwritten notes or addresses etc at some place in their vehicles so they could easily be returned to them.
Reduction in vehicle crime
The SSP said there had been a significant decrease in vehicle crime in the year 2014. He added that several major vehicle-lifting gangs were busted by the ACLC.
The official said when he took charge of his current office the four-wheeler theft and snatching cases on an average were 13 per day. This has now decreased to eight vehicles per day. The motorcycle theft and snatching cases have reduced from 63 to 61 per day.
The four-wheeler recovery rate has increased from 50 percent to 57 percent – 2,085 recovered in 2014.
Similarly, the motorcycle recovery rate has increased from 18 percent to 21 percent – 4,619 recovered last year.
Between August and December 2014, the ACLC nabbed 525 suspects and busted 30 vehicle-lifting gangs.
It also arrested 63 proclaimed offenders and absconders. Besides, the cell also seized 18 pistols and 10kg hashish.