• Some 900 engines were stolen systematically and gradually over a five-year period from a Kia factory in India.
Amid the sombre news and chaos of recent weeks in the automotive industry, here’s something a little… different. Police in India are investigating after it was discovered that some 900 engines were stolen from a Kia factory over a period of five years.
Not smaller parts that could be easier to smuggle, but entire engines.
Authorities believe the engines weren’t stolen all at once, during an isolated operation. Rather, as The Economic Times reports, thefts took place over a period of five years. Incredibly, it was only discovered this year, at the end of March, during an audit of the company's accounts and accounting records.
Police say the theft appears to have been the result of coordinated planning between certain Kia employees, both current and former. “The preliminary investigation shows that the engines were stolen gradually and in a planned manner. It is certain that insiders are involved. We suspect collusion between former and current employees,” said the Deputy Commissioner of Police for the city of Penukonda.
Police suspect the perpetrators stole engines from the factory and then manipulated internal records to prevent detection.
The victimized Kia factory has been open since December 2019; it assembles between 300,000 and 400,000 vehicles annually. A company spokesperson stated that the thefts had no impact on production.
It’s safe to say that monitoring may not have been up to par inside the factory – 900 complete engines is a lot of product. It’s also safe to say Kia India is taking corrective measures.
Disappeared engines
As for where those engines ended up? No one knows, for the moment. Explained Superintendent of Police for the Sri Sathya Sai district, a Mr. Rathna, “We have formed three special teams to investigate this matter. They are traveling throughout the country to collect essential documents, and the investigation is progressing rapidly.”
Kia is limiting its comments for the moment, leaving it to the police to do their job.
