Police believe social media challenge behind teens stealing 100 Mazdas
(Photo / Getty)
By Robin Martin for RNZ
Police suspect social media challenges are driving a spate of Mazda thefts in Taranaki.
A group of 30 teenagers - some as young as 13 - are believed to be responsible for stealing more than 100 cars of this brand since January.
The Mazda theft phenomenon first appeared in Taranaki in November and December, when up to 30 were stolen.
Since the start of the year, a total of 200 vehicles have been taken in the province - 108 of them Mazdas, many of the type usually referred to as nana cars .
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Kids have stolen around 200 vehicles this year already.
Earlier this year, Mazda was named the best car brand of 2021, but we doubt that New Zealand citizens will feel quite so good about the Japanese automaker a year from now. See, the Australasian country, specifically the province of Taranaki, has been going through a strange phenomenon: the theft of older Mazda cars. Apparently, there s some sort of social media challenge that is going viral, and this is causing teenagers to film themselves stealing cars that are easy to break into. Most of the cars being targeted are small Mazda runabouts, as they are perceived to be easy to get going with just a little hot-wiring.
Police suspect social media challenges are driving a spate of Mazda thefts in Taranaki.
Photo: 123rf.com
A group of 30 teenagers - some as young as 13 - are believed to be responsible for stealing more than 100 cars of this brand since January.
The Mazda theft phenomenon first appeared in Taranaki in November and December, when up to 30 were stolen.
Since the start of the year, a total of 200 vehicles have been taken in the province - 108 of them Mazdas, many of the type usually referred to as nana cars .
Taranaki crime prevention manager Senior Sergeant Kyle Davie said it appeared the young people - some of who were repeat offenders - were trying to make a name for themselves.