[imagesource: YouTube]

A couple of car thieves stole someone’s Lexus 570LX SUV from outside a shopping complex in Randburg on Tuesday so rapidly that one could barely shout out for help in time.

It took them 60 seconds, reported IOL, or two minutes according to the voice in the video of the CCTV footage that captured the crime taking place from start to finish.

Be it in one minute or two, these criminals managed to sneak the hunk of a vehicle right out from under the owner’s nose.

Referred to as Mr X for safety and privacy concerns, the owner of the V8 vehicle said he had stopped off at the Nova Bar in Malanshof at about 5PM on Tuesday to wait for his friends:

“I said let me pull off at this shopping centre and wait for my friend. Because it was load shedding and traffic heading into Northgate during peak time would be crazy.

“So I go to this bar at a small shopping centre. I took my laptop out of the car and went upstairs to work while I waited for him. I swear to you, not even 10 minutes later, some guy comes upstairs and asks, ‘Who’s driving the Lexus?’

“I said it was me. He said they just stole it,” Mr X said, adding that he did not believe the man at first.

Mr X bought the car in 2017, which retails for just over R1,2 million at current market prices, and even added a personalised number plate.

Watch the CCTV footage from around the 0:45 mark for the main action:

Mr X called his insurance company as soon as he heard that his car had been stolen, and they managed to track the vehicle down in about 20 minutes, he said.

It was found outside the MTN head office in Fairland, which was about 15 minutes away from where it was initially taken.

The driver was reportedly inside the car at the time that the security companies located the vehicle.

As for how they did it, the only clue might be from the jamming devices that were found inside the car with the driver.

[source:iol]