Dubai Customs stop stolen car imports

Anytime people in the UAE shop for vehicles in places such as Abu Shagara in Sharjah or Aweer in Dubai, there is a chance that the imported used car they are purchasing something stolen in another country. This place itself has become popular around the world as a shipping destination for stolen cars headed for Africa and Russia. It is good to know that Dubai Customs has been cracking down on this shadowy trade for a couple of years now.

Dubai Customs recently organized a specialised workshop to raise awareness of this issue among the country’s various customs agencies, to combat what they describe as organised crime.

The Division of Vehicle and Transportation which was established in September 2007 within the Dubai Customs to address auto and vehicle theft locally and internationally. Since the launch of this division to date, covering a period of six months, 86 stolen cars worth approximately Dhs 5.5 million were seized during attempts to smuggle them into Dubai.

It is claimed that auto theft crimes in the UAE have declined significantly due to effective theft-combating operations by UAE customs authorities. The year 2005 saw the screening of information of 6556 cars which led to the seizing of 460 cars, while this figure declined in 2007 to only 16 seized cars after inspecting information of 3098 cars.

The problem still exists though. My buddy’s brown 1994 Mitsubishi Galant was recently stolen right from the roadside parking area in front of his place in Aweer. The car even had an Islamic Kalimah sticker on the back, but that didn’t deter any thieves. The police have been unhelpful in locating it. A few weeks ago, two brand new unregistered BMWs, parked in front of the dealership in Dubai, disappeared at night. I believe thieves are using flat-bed pickups to tow away people’s property. Keep a good watch over your cars.