Businesswoman's 'unique' £100k Maserati 'stolen in 60 seconds' from London street in keyless 'hack'
14 March 2024, 13:40
A businesswoman has told of her anger after a gang of keyless car thieves stole her 'one-of-a-kind' Maserati worth £100,000 from a London street in less than sixty seconds.
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The car's owner, Dr Renu Raj, told LBC of her "frustration" at how easily the crooks accessed the luxury vehicle before making off with it.
She said the keys were inside her house and that the thieves used "sophisticated digital hacking methods" to make off with it.
"Despite the vehicle having a push-to-start wireless key system, they managed to bypass it and drive away," Dr Raj told LBC.
"They seemed very professional with their approach and did not show any excitement to finally being able to drive the high-end vehicle," she said.
Dr Raj said she is "shocked" by the theft and is "deeply concerned" about safety and security in the area.
She added theft was "alarming", especially as the car was stolen from a "broad, well-lit, and busy" road.
CCTV footage of the theft shows the car being disabled and driven off by the thieves in less than a minute.
Hounslow car theft
Dr Raj said: "My car holds significant personal and sentimental value, as it is a limited edition model and one of its kind in the area."
She said important documents and several personal belongings were also inside the vehicle.
"It's unacceptable that consumers are left vulnerable to such security breaches," Dr Raj said, adding it raises "serious questions" about the security of such vehicles.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed the crime was reported to them on 13 March and that investigations are under way. No injuries were reported. No arrests have been made.
Police said in a statement: "A report was made to the police on the theft of a car at Great South West Street, Hounslow at 06:33hrs on Wednesday 13 March.
"At this time the crime has been reported and investigations are under way. There were no injuries."
According to the Maserati website, prices for the Levante model start at £92,935.00.
