Police put on the lookout for hacking tool being used to steal cars

The police are being advised to look out for a portable hacking tool, one of which was confiscated recently in Jamaica during a brazen attempt to steal motor vehicles.

The device, a Flipper Zero, is said is able to read, copy and emulate radio-frequency identification  (RFID) and near-field communication (NFC) tags, radio remotes and digital access keys.

In a Gleaner report published today, 'Car thieves Go High Tech', the device was allegedly confiscated from two men, as they attempted to steal two vehicles at the Constant Spring tax office in St Andrew recently.

The device was later confirmed to be a key reprogramming gadget that allows criminals to steal a car within seconds.

The Counter Terrorism and Organised Crime (CTOC) said that at the end of November 1,400 cars were reported stolen islandwide.

Since the device was confirmed, the Jamaica Constabulary Force has been seeking to enlighten its officer corps about the gadget's features and capabilities.

“One of the electronic devices being used to aid in car stealing. Persons on patrol if you happen to search or see any person with this please note it's a powerful tool used to pick up remote signals, etc,” a message circulating in police groups, with a photo of the device affixed, reads.

The level of car theft in Jamaica, which shows rising figures annually, is driving up premiums for motor vehicle insurance according to the Insurance Association of Jamaica (IAJ).

Peter Levy, Vice President of AIJ and Managing Director at British Caribbean Insurance Company (BCIC) in a recent Sunday Gleaner interview said motor vehicle theft has increased post COVID-19.

The number of thefts up to September 2024 is 957 and this is based on claims made.

“Last year (2023) was 952. In 2022 was 862, 2021 was 686,” Levy told The Sunday Gleaner, adding that before Covid it was between 630 and 760.

Meanwhile, as of the end of October, over half a billion dollars worth of motor vehicles have been reported stolen in St Andrew North, raising serious concerns in the area.

The alarming trend not only enriches organised criminal networks, but also burdens investigators with increasing caseloads, the police say.

The data was revealed in a Gleaner story on November 1 titled 'Grand Theft Auto'.

“Since the start of the year, we have had 119 cases reported to us. For the entire year 2022, it was 113, and we put some strategies in place, and it was reduced to 90 last year. Now at the end of October, we have 119,” Deputy Superintendent (DSP) Dalian Clarke, who oversees operations in the division, told The Gleaner then.

The police have been in dialogue with the AIJ on the pressing issue of motor vehicle larceny.

- Andre Williams

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