Thieves have stolen front badges and radar sensors from approximately 70 Volkswagen vehicles across south-east London in a four-day period, according to the Metropolitan Police. The thefts, which occurred between July 15 and 19, targeted cars on 29 roads in Catford, Forest Hill, Ladywell, Honor Oak, East Dulwich, and Lewisham, as reported by The Times.
Drone surveillance and rapid thefts reported
Victims have told The Times that drones were used to scout targets, and that the badges could be removed in less than five seconds. Giorgina Tomlin, from Nunhead in Southwark, said her Volkswagen T-Roc, only six weeks old, was targeted on July 18, along with four other cars on her road. She noted that a friend living nearby had spotted a drone from her garden the day before.
“It was highly organised, they knew exactly where every car was, so they'd obviously scoped it out previously,” Tomlin said.
Victims describe coordinated attacks
Another victim, Graham Dunn, 34, whose Volkswagen Tiguan was hit on July 18, provided CCTV footage to police. He described the theft as swift and damaging: “It was two guys on Lime bikes, it took sub-five seconds, and they've done nearly two grand of damage in that time. They harvested this area.”
The stolen components include the front badge, which often houses radar sensors used for advanced driver-assistance systems, making replacement costly. The total damage across the 70 vehicles is estimated to be substantial, though exact figures have not been released.
Police investigation underway
Pc Olly Rutherford, who is leading the investigation, confirmed the scale of the incidents. “We are aware of a number of incidents in south-east London over recent weeks in which car badges, including the vehicle's radar sensors, have been stolen. At this stage, around 70 thefts are believed to have taken place. Inquiries remain underway, and we would ask anyone else who believes they have been a victim of this type of crime to report the details to us. Similarly, anyone who has information which has not yet been shared with police is asked to get in touch with us as soon as possible.”
Volkswagen has been contacted for comment but has not yet responded. Police are urging residents in the affected areas to review any security footage and report suspicious activity, particularly involving drones or individuals on bikes.
