Complex scheme lasted five years and involved employees within the automaker itself, according to police
A masterstroke of organized crime has come to light in India: over 900 engines were stolen over five years from a Kia factory located near the city of Penukonda, in the southern part of the country. According to the police, everything indicates that the scheme involved internal participation and was executed with extreme caution and planning.
The fraud was only discovered after an audit conducted in 2023, which led the unit’s management to initiate an internal investigation and, in March of this year, alert the authorities.
“The initial investigation points to a systematic, carefully orchestrated theft,” a police spokesperson told the India Times. “There are strong indications of collaboration between former employees and current team members.”
Initially, investigators suspected diversions during the transportation of the engines. However, the latest findings reveal that the equipment was extracted directly from the factory, with alterations in internal records to camouflage the removals. The mystery remains as to how the thieves managed to physically remove the heavy engines without being detected.
“The subtractions began in 2020 and continued continuously until now,” an officer explained to NDTV. “We are deepening the investigation.”
Kia’s plant, responsible for assembling models like Carens, Seltos, Sonet, and Syros, has the capacity to produce over 300,000 vehicles per year. This may explain how hundreds of engines disappeared over such a long time without raising immediate suspicions.
The police highlighted that three special teams were created to investigate the case and are traversing the country in search of documents and relevant clues. Kia has not yet officially commented, but an employee told the India Times that the factory’s production continues normally, even with the missing engines.
Source and images: Motor1 / Disclosure. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
