Gone in 60 Seconds: Quick Car Theft With No Keys Caught on Camera in UK

The West Midlands Police Department released a surveillance video on Monday, showing two tech-savvy criminals in the English town of Solihull stealing a Mercedes with the help of special equipment, which allows hacking keyless entry. The entire heist, called a “relay crime,” took them less than a minute.

The carjackers used relay boxes — devices that can be programmed to send signals through walls and trick a car lock system. One box, placed on the house's exterior, received a signal from the owner's key and transmitted it to the second box held right next to the car. After the doors were unlocked, the men got into the car and left the crime scene.

Police reportedly haven't found the stolen Mercedes yet. To protect against this type of theft, car owners are advised to use devices that lock the entire steering wheel and install a tracking system that will increase the chances of finding a stolen vehicle.