In Irkutsk, police detained two suspected car thieves while they tried to start a foreign car using special equipment. During the search, they seized devices for opening cars, disabling alarms, and programming new keys. Investigators believe each accomplice had a role in the scheme. The suspects are now under arrest, and police are checking their involvement in other car thefts in the city.

The operation to detain the offenders was carried out by officers of the permanently operating investigative task force (PDSOG) for investigating thefts of motor vehicles in the city of Irkutsk. The suspected car thieves were detained at the moment when they were trying to start a foreign-made car using special equipment.
Despite the fact that the detainees categorically denied their involvement in the crime, and one of them even pretended to be mentally ill, the police found irrefutable evidence indicating that the activities of the criminal duo were connected with the criminal business of car theft. During the search, a whole arsenal of mechanical and electronic devices intended to deactivate standard and additional anti-theft systems was seized from the detainees. In their car, sets of homemade turners, blanks of factory keys, code grabbers and alarm scanners, radio sets, as well as a special programmer intended for making changes to the vehicle control unit and programming new electronic keys were found.
Both Irkutsk residents, aged 29 and 34, had previously been brought to criminal responsibility for illegal arms trafficking, robberies, damage to others' property, and crimes related to car thefts. The court agreed with the investigators' arguments and placed the suspects in the Irkutsk pretrial detention center for the duration of the investigation. A criminal case has been opened under Part 3 of Article 158 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (theft).
According to the operatives, each of the accomplices performed strictly defined functions. One of them was a specialist in the technical side and broke into cars using turners, while the other scanned electronic codes and disabled alarms and immobilizers.
At present, police officers and investigators are checking whether the arrested men were involved in similar car thefts in Irkutsk, and are also identifying other members of the criminal group.
Based on materials from the press service of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Irkutsk Region