More than 43 thousand complaints in recent years, with Loulé, Vila Nova de Gaia and Almada at the top of the list. Many robberies are for recreation
Steal cars: the crime has grown in Portugal and is one of those that worries the authorities most.
It highlights that, on average, there are 21 vehicles stolen per day. Since 2020 alone, more than 43 thousand cases of theft of motor vehicles and industrial or agricultural machinery have been recorded.
Porto, Setúbal and Faro are the districts with the most occurrences; The municipalities with the most robberies are Loulé, Vila Nova de Gaia and Almada.
The Republican National Guard is worried. Na, Joana Machado (GNR) talks about a “considerable” number of robberies and admits: “It’s a phenomenon that has us worried.”
The person in charge indicates on the radio that the majority of criminals opt for break-in of the doors by squeezing the lock cylinder, which allows access to the interior of the vehicle.
“In a smaller number, we also have situations in which the theft of vehicles occurs in the context of an intrusion into a residence, during which the robbers take possession of the vehicle keys to steal them. And another phenomenon that has also been recurring is the use of trailers to steal luxury or higher-end vehicles”, he describes.
GNR suspects that many cars are stolen to “recreation”: drive in a “reckless” way to have fun. There are also cases in which vehicles are used to rob stores or houses.
And there are still crimes for “quicker profit” purposes, that is, cars go to illegal workshops or scrap yards, are dismantled, and criminals make money from the parts.
Joana Machado leaves tips to car owners: “Take care of the place where you park your vehicle, avoiding poorly lit places, always looking for safer places, where people pass through more regularly. Whenever possible, opt for closed and guarded parks.”
The GNR also suggests not parking the vehicle in the same place for several days in a row, in addition to always having the keys nearby, even at the quickest stops.
