Boat Theft | Boat Crime

The Mecklenburg Lake District and the many lakes of Brandenburg attract not only holidaymakers year after year, but also thieves, saboteurs and vandals who unlawfully target the numerous private and commercial boats in the region in one way or another. Whether it is the sailing vessel bearing the advertising banner of a drinks manufacturer that is defaced with graffiti overnight, or the small, lovingly restored private boat stolen by unknown offenders during the family holiday. Particularly in north-east Germany, the primary area of operation of Kurtz Investigations Rostock, developments are cause for concern:

Although boat thefts across Germany fell by 25 per cent in 2016 compared to the previous year, the situation in Brandenburg deteriorated significantly – by a full 35 per cent. One aspect of the work carried out by our Rostock private investigators is the investigation of such offences, including the recovery and return of stolen property. Every perpetrator – whether thief or vandal – leaves traces that must be identified and followed. We are happy to undertake this task for you: +49 381 3739 0080.

Investigations Throughout Germany and Beyond

In order to follow the trail of stolen or damaged boats, ships, yachts or jet skis, it is generally necessary not only to invest considerable time, but also to examine an extensive geographical area. To ensure this can be accomplished, Kurtz Detective Agency Rostock works, when required, not only with its own operatives from other federal states, but also with cooperation partners abroad and with institutions such as the German Water Police and the police competence centre for boat crime (KBK) in Constance. Thanks to the nationwide network of our detective agency across all federal states, a close-knit informant network and the aforementioned international partners, our private detective agency from Rostock is better positioned than many other investigative services to locate and secure stolen goods that have been transported away at short notice.

As a transit country, Germany is unfortunately highly attractive to criminals; via the North Sea and Baltic Sea stolen goods can be transported abroad by sea, and otherwise also by land, and resold promptly. With professionally forged serial and chassis numbers, criminals attempt to conceal the origin of their goods in order to pass stolen merchandise on to consumers. Customers of such fraudsters then live with the risk that the deception will be uncovered – during a police check, a boat repair and so forth – and that the purchased vessel will be confiscated. This may occur, for example, if identification markings such as hull identification numbers (HIN, CIN) have been mechanically removed or falsified numbers attached that were never issued by the manufacturer. Even any original authenticity documents that have been retained may lead to clarification if the robbed owner has initiated a search. In addition to the seizure of the supposed property, possessors of stolen goods may even face criminal investigation for handling stolen goods.

Concerted Actions Show Results | Is Boat Crime an Underestimated Problem?

That a comprehensive investigation into boat crime reveals numerous offences and that a high number of unreported cases must therefore be assumed was demonstrated by a cooperation between the federal states, their police authorities, the KBK and additional Polish colleagues in September 2015, when a total of 304 reports were filed within just one month. A total of 2,521 boats as well as 3,256 vehicles, boat engines and boat trailers were inspected through joint efforts. In 2016 alone, the KBK seized boats, boat trailers, outboard engines, jet skis and so forth worth seven-figure sums; the so-called “by-catch” also included electrical appliances, motor vehicles and bicycles worth approximately 325,000 euros.

Our detectives from Rostock are pleased to measure themselves against the professional work of this competence centre and likewise to contribute to locating and securing embezzled or stolen boats together with accessories and by-catch. This naturally also includes the legally admissible identification and conviction of the perpetrators.

Protection Against Stolen Goods and Fraud – What You Should Look Out For:

Anyone considering the purchase of a boat or boat accessories today must exercise great caution. In order to avoid falling victim to stolen goods and one day having to watch helplessly as a cherished boat is confiscated, Kurtz Economic Investigations Rostock and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania recommends keeping a few basic rules in mind:

• Beware of boats or outboard engines without certification or without documents providing information about their history (similar to purchasing a car)
• Beware of absurdly cheap (bait) offers; these may under certain circumstances turn out to be goods fraud or indicate a stolen boat intended to change hands as quickly as possible
• Beware of private sellers who allegedly can offer several boats (who has a private fleet?)
• Check the trailer’s chassis number, as thieves frequently grind it off
• Check for signs of tampering such as grinding marks and repainting in the area of the hull identification number

Another important point is that personal data should not be disclosed too early in the course of a transaction: scanned documents, identity cards, credit cards as well as IBAN and BIC details should be avoided. You can be certain that your identity card and boating licence will quickly be used by fraudsters to pretend to other customers that they are you and thereby appear more trustworthy. In this way, you yourself could also come under investigative scrutiny. Further information can be found, among other sources, in the KBK information leaflet.

Nothing Shipshape on Board? How to Reach Our Private Investigators in Rostock:

Sind Sie von einem Diebstahl oder einer andersartigen Schädigung betroffen, die zum Bereich der Bootskriminalität zählt, so laden wir Sie ein, sich mit unserer Detektei aus Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in Verbindung zu setzen. Durch ihre jahrelangen Erfahrungen können Ihnen unsere IHK-zertifizierten Wirtschaftsdetektive in der Regel effektiv weiterhelfen. Legen Sie uns Ihren Fall in einem telefonischen oder persönlichen Beratungsgespräch dar, um das mögliche Vorgehen und die damit verbundenen Detektivkosten zu besprechen: 0381 3739 0080. Alternativ können Sie uns auch gern eine E-Mail schicken: kontakt@kurtz-detektei-rostock.de.