Hyper demand for off-road rigs spurs trade in stolen parts

In a major theft uptick a total of 15 vehicles have been reported stolen in three days, including a distinct LandCruiser stolen without keys and found at a locked industrial yard.

In a major theft uptick a total of 15 vehicles have been reported stolen in three days, including a distinct LandCruiser stolen without keys and found at a locked industrial yard on Monday.

Latest police car theft data released Monday revealed that 18 vehicles had been stolen in the Cairns area since August 1 to account for a stolen car total of 537 to date this year.

In a return to an unprecedented theft rate that drove a record 1299 cars stolen in 2022, numbers indicate an escalation of car rip-offs at the weekend.

On Thursday, a mere three cars had been reported stolen in August.

And seemingly of particular interest to thieves recently are late model Toyota LandCruisers and Hilux models.

Stevie Burke’s 70 Series LandCruiser was stolen from Parramatta Park on Saturday and was located in a gated industrial yard on Monday, August 7. Picture: True North Adventures

Between July 29 and August 5 three LandCruisers and one Hilux have been reported stolen.

One of the vehicles was a distinct silver 70 Series LandCruiser branded with a company logo. The vehicle is the pride and joy of True North Adventures owner Stevie Burke.

He said the $150,000+ vehicle was stolen from his Parramatta Park home on Saturday night, but unlike most car rip-offs, thieves did not steal keys from inside the house before driving off with the car.

“Police are not sure how they took it,” he said.

The True North Adventures call-out on social media.

Police at the Portsmith yard where the True North LandCruiser was located.

“I had an Apple AirTag in it and it pinged (on Monday morning) in an industrial estate and the police found it in a locked-up yard.

“The police said they think it may have been dragged on to the back of a tow truck.

“They said if I didn’t track it, (the car) would have disappeared into that shed and would never be seen again.

“They said it was a bit more than the usual stolen car thing.”

Potential further signs of a black market trade came on Sunday when a 2017 model Hilux, reported stolen from Cairns on Friday, was reportedly found off the Hervey Range Road near Townsville stripped of its tray, front guards, bumper, grill and headlights.

This late model HiLux was stolen from Cairns and located stripped at a quarry outside Townsville on Sunday. Picture: Des Barry

Stolen car victim Natalie Kay claimed young car thieves were dumping cars in the bush in exchange for drugs for older offenders who then strip parts.

“Not sure what the older generation do with the spare parts, possibly sell them on,” she said.

Mr Burke said global demand for new Toyota off-road models had become so great recently dealers are no longer taking orders due to a wait time of more than two years for the cars to arrive from overseas.

And for a new Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series, wait times have blown out to three years, which has significantly increased the value of used models.

“My car is seven years old but (I was to replace the vehicle) you can’t even order one because there is such a backlog of orders,” he said.

The adventure Youtuber said, in an amazing show of support, a social media post asking for information on the missing True North Adventure car call had been shared more than 1700 times by Facebook and Instagram users all over the country

“The best outcome would have been not to have it stolen in the first place but to have it back and not have it all smashed up is good,” he said.

Registration is now open for a highly anticipated engine immobiliser trial which offers eligible car owners a $500 subsidy voucher to be put toward the fitting of a device designed to curb a stolen car crisis in Cairns, Townsville and Mount Isa.

Register here for the immobiliser trial subsidy.

Follow @petercarruther1

Originally published as Hyper demand for off-road rigs spurs trade in stolen parts