Car crime up in Austria

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VIENNA // Austria, has experienced a dramatic rise in car theft. In the first seven months of 2009, there was a 71.6 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2008. Christof Hetzmannseder, head of the Vienna criminal police department, said the increase in theft, most of which was by organised gangs, was related to the economic crisis. "Especially in the recent economic downturn, demand in the (secondhand) market has increased significantly." He says the most common makes stolen are Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda and Toyota aged five years or older.