More than four vehicles stolen every hour in Delhi: Police

More than four vehicles are stolen every hour in the national capital with motorcycles being the prime target, according to statistics shared by the Delhi Police.

This year, till June 30, 21,298 cases of motor vehicle thefts were reported. As many as 12,689 motorcycles have been stolen, accounting for 60 per cent of thefts.

As many as 3,871 cars and 3,237 scooters were stolen during this time, while other vehicles accounted for seven per cent of the thefts, the data said.

According to a senior police officer, motorcycles are used frequently for street crimes like snatching and robberies.

"The accused use stolen motorcycles to carry out snatching and robberies so that even if the registration number is captured in the CCTV footage, they cannot be traced," he said.

"Many of the auto-lifters steal motorcycles on demand from snatchers," the officer said.

The number of motor vehicle thefts reported last year was 40,972. In 2016, a total of 38,644 vehicles were lifted.