Police find worker's car - minus wheels

Salmana Khan. Photo / Richard Robinson

Salmana Khan says she is only "half happy" after her stolen car was found - minus the wheels.

The 23-year-old's Honda Integra was stolen from the Tournament carpark in Nelson St, Auckland City, on Tuesday.

Yesterday, on the same day her story featured in the Herald, the police called her at 2am to say her car had been recovered but its wheels were missing.

"I'm happy, but I mean, it's tinged with sadness because my mags are gone," Ms Khan said. "I don't know if it's still driveable. They said it wasn't pretty."

The sales co-ordinator had parked her car in the Tournament carpark shortly before 8.30am on Tuesday.

On her return after work, about 5.30pm, she found her car space empty.

"I walked halfway and saw it empty, then walked back to the lift thinking I had got off at the wrong level. Then I thought it had been towed."

It was only when Ms Khan returned to her car space that she found broken glass scattered on the ground.

"I thought, 'Oh no, it's been stolen."

The next day, she learned that the car that had been parked next to hers - a colleague's - had also been broken into.

She said the fact that the carpark was one of many in the city owned by specialised companies made her feel it was a safe place to park.

Ms Khan said the lack of an entry barrier in the carpark might have been a key factor. A special sticker on the dashboard was the only way a person could park in the facility and know their car wouldn't be towed - but that did not stop hers being stolen, Ms Khan said.

"I want the barrier [put in]. It would be good. And for corporate carparks, it should have a swipecard entry and a person at attendance.

"Nobody's keeping an eye and I'd like that too. I have a friend who says she's not going to park there again until more security is put in."

Police said 23 cars, worth about $200,000, were stolen from carparks in the first nine days of this month.

Crime teams - groups of two to three people - focusing on the Auckland City area are thought to be the problem, Detective Senior Sergeant Steve Breach said.

"You have your car thieves and your unlawful takers.

"The unlawful taker will break into a car because he's drunk and doesn't have enough money for a taxi. He'll never do it again," Mr Breach said.

"But professional car thieves, they'll change the ID, they grind it down and they sell it."

Mr Breach said that of the 23 cars, Ms Khan's was the only one that had been recovered so far.

Prevention of car thefts - through sensible behaviour and better security - was the key to keeping car thieves away, Mr Breach said.

"Don't leave your laptop in the backseat, and get a steering lock. It might cost a bit - around $35 - but it saves the aggravation of having your car stolen."