Motorbike or moped stolen every eight minutes in Spain

A MOTORBIKE or moped is stolen every minutes in Spain, but some models are more likely to be pinched than others, a new study shows.

The Rastreator report concludes that thieves prefer the models which are the biggest sellers so they can get money for them more easily. Also, that very often robbers take the stolen wheels apart and either get cash for the pieces or use them for other motorbikes.

Top of thieves’ hit list are motor scooters, Rastreator says. Next in popularity are sport models of between 600 and 1,000cc as the parts easily be sold individually and because they fetch a good price.

Barcelona is the Spanish city where there are most motorbike and moped thefts, followed by Malaga and Madrid.

By region, Cataluña is by far and away the most likely part of the country for two-wheeled rides to go missing, accounting for 87 per cent of the total robberies. Madrid comes in second on seven per cent, followed by Andalucia and the Valencian Community on two per cent apiece, while one per cent of thefts are in Murcia.

The statistics also show that the worst month for motorbikes and mopeds to be nicked is July, on 16 per cent of thefts in a year, followed by April at 13 per cent.

The Interior Ministry identifies the most typical profile of this kind of thief as a young man aged between 20 and 27 acting in a gang with between four and 10 members.

Robberies tend to be carried out in three stages: first locating and keeping watch on a vehicle, second loading it onto a van, and third taking it to a warehouse or workshop to be taken apart for pieces.