This archive report was first published on 21 October 2019.
Published on October 21, 2019, an exposé by The Standard revealed a shocking trend in Nairobi's car market.
Car thieves are now reselling stolen vehicles with parts from damaged cars that have been written off by insurance companies. The stolen cars are then sold to unsuspecting customers, who are unaware of the vehicle's history.
The car cartel, which operates with the help of corrupt police officers and security guards, uses a complex network of scrap yards and garages to cover their tracks. They bribe agents selling damaged cars up to Sh300,000 for the parts, which are then used to alter the stolen vehicles.
The Association of Kenya Insurers (AKI) has established a central platform to track insured vehicles and policy holders, making it difficult for criminals to lodge fraudulent claims. However, the car cartel has found a way to circumvent this system by using high-tech gadgets to overwrite the identity of the stolen cars.
The cartel's modus operandi involves tracking similar models to the written-off cars, bribing security guards up to Sh40,000 to acquire the cars, and then dismantling and altering the parts. The altered vehicles are then sold to unsuspecting customers, who are unaware of the vehicle's history.
