Finnish police complete investigation into major used car theft case in Vantaa
The East Uusimaa Police in Finland have completed the preliminary investigation into a case of used car theft in Vantaa. In April 2024, about ten vehicles were stolen from a used car dealership in Vantaa, primarily passenger cars. The selling prices of these cars ranged between 10,000 and 20,000 euros.
There are several suspects in the case, some of whom have connections abroad. The police suspect that some of the cars were quickly taken out of Finland, possibly to Estonia. The thieves gained access to the cars by using their own keys and drove them out of the dealership. The suspects obtained the keys by breaking into the car dealership through the premises of another company located in the same building.
All of the cars have not yet been returned to their owners. The police advise that car dealerships should store car keys carefully. In recent years, there have been several cases in the East Uusimaa region where vehicles have been stolen from car dealerships, repair shops, and inspection stations. The culprits have easily obtained keys, for instance, by breaking mailboxes on dealership premises.
The police have been investigating the case as aggravated theft and concealment. However, the concealment aspect, which involves taking the stolen cars abroad, will not be brought before the prosecutor at this stage. The next question is whether to continue investigating the cross-border concealment.
The police have described the investigation as demanding, lengthy, and requiring the use of various coercive measures. Now that the preliminary investigation has been completed, the case will move on to the consideration of charges.