Russia legalizes stolen cars from the EU through occupied regions of Ukraine

Legalization of Stolen Cars in Russia

In Russia, a scheme has been created to legalize cars stolen in Europe through the occupied regions of Ukraine, specifically the Luhansk and Donetsk regions. Stolen cars from the EU are transported to these regions, where the occupying authorities allow them to be re-registered without customs procedures. This means that individuals with so-called 'clean' documents, known as 'drops', can register the cars in their name without any obstacles.

Risks for Buyers

After registration, the cars are moved to Rostov-on-Don, where they continue to operate under new conditions. Stolen cars are formally not 'wrecked' and successfully pass inspections, making it difficult to detect their illegal origin. As one of the sources mentioned:

“since people can re-register a car in their name and put it on Russian record without any customs procedures, there are usually no problems for the carriers.”

It is important to note that, according to the source, 'in all documents this will be the first registration and one owner if checked in the databases. There will be no history abroad for the car.' This can lead to risks for buyers of cars that have a 'dark' history. The expert notes that:

“hundreds of people who have bought cars with a dark history risk being left without transportation and without the money given to fraudsters.”

Russia's contacts with Interpol have been significantly complicated since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, and Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have effectively refused to cooperate with Russian law enforcement. This complicates the investigation and detection of stolen cars, which may facilitate the further development of this scheme.

This situation underscores the importance of international cooperation in the fight against organized crime, especially under conditions where traditional control mechanisms are absent. It is crucial for European countries to continue working on improving the information exchange system and cooperation with law enforcement to prevent such schemes for legalizing stolen property. The lack of such cooperation can lead to further complications in detecting and returning stolen cars, jeopardizing not only the economic interests of countries but also consumer safety.