The Yomiuri reports that the Toyota Hiace van is the most stolen automobile in Japan:

The number of stolen Hiace vehicles began increasing sharply last year. The Hiace model ranked ninth on the list of insurance payments for stolen cars in 2005 and rose to fifth in 2006, according to the insurance association, which compiles the data each November. Eventually, the Hiace rose to occupy first place on the list last year.

Conversely, the number of stolen SUVs and upscale cars has conspicuously dropped, reflecting the widespread use of antitheft devices, such as immobilizers, on these vehicles.

As a result, it is believed that theft rings shifted their focus to vans such as the Hiace, in which antitheft equipment is not usually installed.

It is believed that most of the vans stolen are disassembled and shipped to developing countries in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, where they are used as taxis, buses, or utility vehicles. Van engines are also sometimes used to power fishing boats.

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