The Stolen Vehicle Parts Market

http://www.aic.gov.au Adam Graycar Director In 2000, 139,000 motor vehicles were stolen in Australia. About 80 per cent of these were recovered soon after the theft. It is estimated that about threequarters of motor vehicle thefts are opportunistic, stolen for joy-riding or transport, and one-quarter are stolen for profit. Many that are stolen for profit end up as spare parts. Very little is known about the spare parts market and its dynamics. This study (which involved interviews with a small number of offenders as well as with law enforcement officers, motor traders and insurance representatives) is a path-breaking attempt to understand the elements of the spare parts market. The market in which spare parts are traded is described briefly in an attempt to focus further on this under-researched area.