Three high-quality mobile homes stolen in Cloppenburg – police are looking for witnesses!

Three high-quality mobile homes stolen in Cloppenburg – police are looking for witnesses!

In the Cloppenburg district to the south, reports of mobile home thefts are increasing. Last week, the police reported three cases that occurred within a short period of time. The thieves appear to be particularly interested in high-end models, further fueling concerns in the region. For example, on the night of October 13th to 14th a Carthago C-Tour was stolen in Lastrup, the following night in Emstek a Fiat TT 670 SB and on the third night in Cappeln a Fiat Bürstner Argos 670 IC Line worth around 50,000 euros. A large proportion of these RVs were even parked right outside their owners' doors, making the brazen acts even more shocking. So far there are no useful clues to the unidentified perpetrators, and the police are asking for witness statements in order to follow the thieves' trail. As NDR reports, a professional gang of thieves may be behind the incidents.

A few days after the thefts, the police published a variety of tips to protect mobile home owners. It is advisable to always lock the vehicles well, use additional locks and, if possible, park the mobile homes in closed halls. When it comes to public parking spaces, you should make sure that they are not too far away from your own four walls. Leaving valuables in the vehicle is also strongly discouraged. GPS transmitters that can help find vehicles in an emergency are also very popular. After all, a worrying trend is emerging: an increase in thefts has been observed since 2019, especially during the mobile home boom in 2021 and 2022.

A worrying trend

The numbers speak for themselves. According to a published study by Fairsicher, around 1,450 mobile homes were reported stolen in 2023, which means a theft rate of nine per 10,000 vehicles. The number of motorhomes in Germany has increased significantly in recent years - from around 589,400 in 2019 to over 907,000 at the beginning of 2024. It is no wonder that international gangs are focusing on these high-priced vehicles.

An interesting observation: around a third of the stolen motorhomes were Fiat models, followed by Volkswagen and Citroen. This finding shows that particularly popular brands are targeted by perpetrators. Typical Fiat models were also among the stolen vehicles in Cloppenburg, which increases the suspicion that the thieves have a good knack for selecting their targets.

Safety precautions are important

This makes it all the more important for owners to take care of the safety of their vehicles in good time. The Cloppenburg/Vechta police station is conducting investigations in all directions in these cases, but is currently unable to make any binding statements about the identity of the perpetrators. Even if the theft rate in Germany fell slightly in 2023, the danger remains. Many mobile home owners may not even be aware of what is happening in their communities and could quickly become victims of such a crime themselves.

Effectively combating theft is not only a concern of the police, but also of the affected population, who want to look after their property. The issue of security precautions is more relevant than ever, and conversations between neighbors and movements within the district could make a significant difference.