Texas Agent Assists European Auto Theft Investigators

A Romanian officer stopped a vehicle at the Romanian/Ukrainian border. He was reportedly able to positively identify the vehicle as a VIN-switched 2021 Dodge Ram TRX but could not locate any data on the true VIN.

Via a Belgian Auto Theft Detective, the NICB was contacted and asked to assist in locating data on the true VIN of the pickup. Utilizing various vehicle related intelligence databases, the Agent was able to determine that last registered owner of the vehicle was a dealership in Ontario, Canada. The Agent contacted the dealership and learned that the vehicle had been sold to an international vehicle sales company in Alberta, Canada. The owner of that business advised the pickup belonged to his brother who owned a vehicle dealership in Kaisten, Switzerland and it had been reported stolen from his dealership. A person of interest was arrested for the theft, but the vehicle was never recovered.

This information was relayed back to the Romanian officer who was then able to legally detain and impound the vehicle until such time the rightful owner could retrieve their property. This vehicle is worth $70,050 in the United States, but the Agent was advised that in that part of the world, the vehicle’s value could be as much as $250,000.