The open car register in Sweden can be used by criminals to steal expensive vehicles and car parts.
Now the Royal Automobile Club demands that the government review the problem.
– It is basically a crime tool that the state provides to facilitate crime, says Anders Ydstedt, chairman of the expert council.
The Royal Automobile Club, KAK, is now warning that the open car registry in Sweden makes it easier for criminals who want to get their hands on expensive vehicles and car parts. Anders Ydstedt, chairman of KAK’s expert council, states that the development is going in the wrong direction.
– Sweden has a unique and open car register and it has been good and nice in many ways. But in recent years we have discovered that the register is used by criminal gangs, he tells TV4 Nyheterna.
“We can’t have it that way”
He explains that criminals can easily look for expensive car models and other components such as airbags and catalytic converters in the car registry.
– As it stands today, the register is basically a criminal tool that the state provides to facilitate crime. We can’t have it that way, he says.
Now KAK demands that the government review the problem.
– I hope that the government appoints an investigation into how to ensure that the register is not used by criminals. We want such an investigation to be established as soon as possible, says Anders Ydstedt.
Risk of new similar registers
In addition, he warns that similar registers may become a reality in the future. Two years ago, an investigation was initiated into a new wealth register – which was sent out for referral to, among others, KAK.
The investigation was tasked with “illuminating and analyzing how individual-based statistics on household assets and liabilities can be produced and used to provide a satisfactory picture of the household’s financial position”.
– We are concerned. Instead of being wary of this type of registry used by criminals, maybe we should introduce more registries. The development is going in the wrong direction, says Anders Ydstedt.