Yahoo Lifestyle CCTV captures 'bumbling bandits' in brazen act as vehicle theft soars across Australia
About 55,000 cars have been stolen from homes in the past year, data from the ABS has revealed.
CCTV has captured the moment two "bumbling bandits" attempted to steal a pair of motorcycles in the rain, but failed in a spectacularly embarrassing manner, as fresh data reveals vehicle theft around the country is on a sharp incline.
One Aussie motorbike owner said they'd already had their "dirt bikes stolen from [their] driveway a few months ago" and now last night, "two geniuses rocked up and attempt to steal the other two road bikes".
"Unfortunately for them, neither of them know how to use a motorcycle and they stacked it attempting to perform a U-turn on the steep, wet slippery driveway, which alerted us to what was going on," the less than impressed motorist wrote on social media.
"Although both bikes have been left significantly damaged, please have a laugh at their expense," the man continued.
CCTV captures would-be thieves' epic fail
In the footage, two hooded men with their faces covered can be seen attempting to steal the motorcycles from a suburban driveway. One of them tries to straddle the first bike, wheeling it in reverse before he falters and falls down, bringing the vehicle with him.
Leaving behind the first bike, he then attempts to aid his companion in reversing the second one down the driveway, but the pair aren't quite able to make it far before another awkward struggle ensues. Despite both of them attempting to wheel the motorcycle toward the road, neither is able to successfully mount the vehicle.
Seconds later, the men are alerted to the presence of the owner and ditch the second bike, fleeing on foot empty-handed.
Vehicle theft on the rise across Australia
The would-be thieves' embarrassing blunder comes as vehicle theft around Australia skyrockets, with data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) revealing that about 55,000 cars have been stolen from homes in the past year.
It's an upward trend that has been occurring since 2020, along with the number of young people involved in home break-ins and motor vehicle theft. ABS head of crime and justice statistics William Milne said 59 per cent of people claimed the incident happened at their home or someone else’s.
“Eighty-six per cent of households reported their motor vehicle theft to police, which was the highest police reporting rate of all crime types collected in the survey,” he said.
Car thefts in Australia had been on a downward long-term trend since 2001, but the number has been increasing since 2020.
With AAP
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