Background
Cobra received a call from a UK based leasing company advising
that a vehicle they own had been stolen; they had leased the
vehicle to a lady whose handbag containing the keys to the £112,500
Audi R8 Spyder had been stolen in Paris.
The leasing company had independently fitted a self monitoring
GPS device to the vehicle. Having monitored the data provided by
this device, they had found that the vehicle was being driven
around France.
The lessee had contacted the French Police by phone to report
the vehicle stolen. French Police refused to act immediately as
their procedures require a theft to be reported in person.
The leasing company then asked French Police to investigate,
giving the location provided by the GPS self monitoring device
fitted. They were advised that French Police procedures meant that
they could only act on information provided to them by a recognised
and accredited independent Secure Operating Centre and not from
vehicle owners.
The leasing company was aware that an Audi CobraTrak system was
fitted to the vehicle but they had not paid the subscription,
preferring to self monitor, and the Audi CobraTrak system had been
de-activated. The leasing company rang Cobra and asked if they
could locate the vehicle. Having paid a penalty fee to reactivate
the system and a new subscription fee, the Audi CobraTrak device
was reactivated and live tracking commenced.
06/02/12
13.00 The leasing company paid the relevant fees to reactivate
the Audi CobraTrak device and tracking commenced. Initially,
communication could not be established with the vehicle.
07/02/12
08:56 Communication finally established, location obtained -
vehicle now locating in Athens, Greece.
08:59 Customer contacted to advise that the vehicle had been
located. A Police Crime Reference Number (CRN) was still required
to be able to validate the theft and to update Interpol's global
stolen vehicle database.
09:42 Customer confirms the CRN provided by the French
Police.
09:44 Cobra Secure Operating Centre (SOC) in Greece briefed by
Cobra's UK SOC to take over theft management responsibility and
undertake local language Police liaison in Greece.
09:59 Greek SOC provide GPS location and ignition status of the
vehicle to Athens Police.
11:25 Greek Police attend location provided and cannot initially
locate vehicle. It is stationary in a multi storey car park. They
drive around the floors of the multi storey car park.
11:48 Greek Police locate the vehicle along with the driver -
vehicle is secured but cannot be recovered until confirmation is
received onto the Interpol database to ensure that Greek police act
legitimately. Police remain with the vehicle.
13:46 Greek Police observing vehicle, whilst awaiting proof of
ownership.
15:46 Vehicle finally recovered undamaged to the Athens Police
Compound, with 1 male suspect arrested.
The leasing company is relieved that they did not make the
mistake of removing the Audi CobraTrak device from the vehicle when
the self monitoring device was installed, and accept that although
the device may provide them with information, this information is
of no use whatsoever in a case of theft as Police response is not
guaranteed unless it originates from a recognised and accredited
independent monitoring centre.
Cobra is unique in providing a Europe wide network of Secure
Operating Centres, working to established local Police procedures
in each country.
Cobra is the only approved supplier of pan-European Stolen
Vehicle Recovery (SVR) services to Audi.
The vehicle was secured undamaged within 114 minutes from theft
confirmation, having travelled over 1856 miles from when it was
hired.