Number of cars thefts in Latvia has significantly dropped this year

RIGA - The number of car thefts has significantly decreased in Latvia this year, the daily newspaper Latvijas Avize reports.

According to information provided by the State Police, the number of car thefts reported in the first nine months of this year has dropped to 383 from 595 a year ago, 635 in 2017 and 703 in 2015.

BMW has remained the most popular car brand with car thieves, with 71 BMW autos stolen in the first nine months of this year. In the nine-month period, car thieves also stole 63 Volkswagen autos, 62 Audi cars, 43 Toyota cars, 21 Mercedes Benz autos and 13 Opel cars.

"In the first half of this year car thefts fell by half from the same period a year ago, but starting in August, thieves have become more active again, there are some processes going on - I feel it intuitively," the daily quoted criminal police official Maris Priednieks as saying. 

He said that around half of the stolen autos are eventually found.