A Belarusian's bright Hyundai was stolen in Warsaw. Cars in Poland disappear regularly, the scale is frightening

Another post appeared in the "Belarusians in Warsaw" Facebook group about a car belonging to a Belarusian being stolen in the Polish capital.

An unpleasant incident happened with a Hyundai Kona — it disappeared in an unknown direction on the night of September 25.

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Photo: screenshot from the "Belarusians in Warsaw" Facebook group

And this is far from an isolated case in recent years that has become known to the public.

Thus, in October 2023, the "AutoGrodno" portal counted eight such cases since the beginning of the year.

Moreover, out of eight cars stolen from Belarusians, only one was found at that time.

In 2024, perhaps the most expensive theft occurred: a Belarusian had a Porsche 718 Spyder stolen, with a value exceeding $100,000. The car was registered in Poland. At the time of the theft, it was in a closed parking lot — and even that didn't help.

Also, at the beginning of 2025, a Belarusian's Lexus UX was stolen; the car also had Polish registration.

In fact, cars are stolen in Poland regardless of the owner's nationality or citizenship. Nevertheless, news about cars being stolen from Belarusians appears regularly. The reason for this lies in the overall theft figures.

Frightening Figures

For example, in 2023, 10,021 car thefts were recorded in Poland. Last year, there were 9,820 thefts. Of these, almost 1,900 occurred in Warsaw. This means that, on average, five cars are stolen daily in the Polish capital. Therefore, it is not surprising that cars belonging to Belarusians often fall victim.

In total, the Masovian Voivodeship, which includes Warsaw, accounts for up to 40% of all car thefts in Poland.

Notably, recent data shows that car thefts in Poland have become less frequent. In 2014, there were almost 14,000 cases. The worst year in Poland's history for car thefts is considered to be 1999, when 71,000 cars were stolen in the country.

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Chart with car theft figures in Poland from 2013 to 2023. Data source: Polish police. Chart: autokult.pl

What are the chances of finding the car?

The clearance rate data, shared last year by the police of Warsaw's Targówek district with the Polish publication Onet, is not encouraging.

Over six months in 2024, 66 criminal cases related to car thefts were initiated in the district. Of these, 62 were completed, but only two ended with an indictment against suspects. Another two cases were closed due to a lack of elements of a crime.

Meanwhile, in 58 out of 62 cases, the investigations were closed because the perpetrator could not be found.

Thus, the clear-up rate for car thefts in this district is about 6.5%, compared to the average for Warsaw of 7.7% according to data for 2023.

Is the police inactive?

Belarusians who experienced car thefts in Poland and later spoke with journalists noted a low interest from the police in solving the cases.

“The most interesting thing is that the police station is 100 meters from where my car was parked. We immediately went to the station to report the theft, the duty officer recorded all the details. But then we had to wait four hours; the patrol was busy with another matter,” recalled a Belarusian to journalists, whose three-year-old Mitsubishi Outlander was stolen in 2023.

According to the victim, when asked if many cars are stolen in Warsaw, the police officer replied that very many, and added that the car was already disassembled for parts, so there was no point in searching for it.

The Belarusian whose Lexus was stolen earlier this year also complained about the lack of initiative from the police.

“Already on the first evening, officers started telling me that the car had already been disassembled.”

The only stolen car that a Belarusian managed to recover was found thanks to a witness who noticed the car and informed the police of its location.

What cars are most often stolen in Poland and what happens to them?

Cars from Japanese and Korean manufacturers are in highest demand for theft — these brands account for about two-thirds of all thefts.

About 80% of stolen cars are indeed disassembled for parts. For example, in December 2023, the Polish police quickly managed to find a stolen BMW X5, but despite only a few hours passing since the theft, the car had already begun to be disassembled.

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Photo: policija.pl

And this is not an isolated case: the police have repeatedly found stolen cars already in the process of being disassembled. For instance, in November 2023, near Warsaw, the "Cobra" operational group discovered a thieves' base equipped with GPS/GSM jammers.

They were used to make it impossible to find the car using GPS trackers.

What about thefts in Belarus? In 2023, 569 cars were stolen in the country, and 563 of them were found. In 2024, 496 cars were stolen, and 495 of them were found.

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