Owners of luxury vehicles in West Flanders are being advised to install extra tracking systems as spate of thefts continues
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Violent confrontations during theft of high-end autos in West Flanders
Lisa Bradshaw
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Police in West Flanders have issued a warning to residents in the areas of Veurne, Lo-Reninge and Alveringem about the theft of luxury vehicles. There have been a spate of robberies in the towns that involve thieves breaking into people’s homes, leading to violent confrontations.
“We confirm that there was a home invasion on Monday evening in Alveringem,” said the prosecutor’s office in West Flanders. “Three suspects tried to break into a home, which led to a confrontation with the residents. One of the residents suffered minor injuries.”
Extra tracking devices
The three male suspects did not manage to get away with the family’s Audi RS6 but did steal an electric BMW in the town on the same evening. It was the eighth theft of a high-end auto in the Spoorkin police zone since last autumn, but Veurne mayor Peter Roose (Veurne Plus) emphasises that the problem is wider spread in the province.
He suggests that owners of such vehicles attach tracking devices to them, even if the car contains its own internal tracking device. “Thieves know those systems are built in and often disable them themselves,” he explains. “In that case, it’s useful to have a second or even a third tracker that operates on its own system, independent of the vehicle’s system.”