Break In Attempt to Steal A Toyota Alphard

Sometime life is full of surprises and what I wrote here is truly a surprise to me. Yesterday when I got to my car and opened the driver door I saw this!

Apparently someone has broke into my car and try to steal it. I have a feeling that the thief have experience with this kind of attempt. They have found a way to ply open the driver door (which I won't post the photo here). They actually know how to open up the cover to the speedometer, remove the lower cover of the steering wheel and dismantled the ignition switch faceplate to gain access to the ignition module.


Then they tried to remove the ignition module but faced resistence in getting if off the steering wheel. Therefore their next attempt is to use a power drill (now I know why the cigarette lighter cover is opened) to try to drill through the ignition module from the top and remove the immobilizer module from it. Look what have they done to the ignition module!

The drilling has left metal debris all over the ignition module, the driver seat and the floor mat.


The problem I faced now is that without the ignition module and the immobilizer the car cannot be started at all.

Since it happened on a Sunday, there are no workshops available to call for help. I have to arrange for a locksmith to come over on Monday. He somehow (well this is their trade secret) managed to dislodge the ignition module and took it back to his shop. He has a way to rebuilt the ignition module with parts that he obtained from his source. He will do some programming to the immobilizer module so that the master key that I have now can be reuse to start the car. As of the writing of this post, he is still working on it. Hopefully he is able to get this done by tomorrow.

The sad thing about this whole incident is that it happen inside guarded compound where I stay. The security guards are just not doing their jobs. When confronted they gave all sort of excuses. I doubt they ever patrol that area at night. I have to made a special request to them on that night to do their patrol near my car (as it is stranded now).

On the same day of the incident, I went back to that area at 12:00 midnight and I don't see any security guards around the area. I return to the place again at 1:30am and saw one security guard coming around. Interesting that he don't even have a torchlight with him. I have to use my own torchlight to scout the surrounding area.

Well look like this car is pretty popular with the thief nowaday. I guess they can fetch a high value in the open market or sell it as spare parts.

PS. When I was making a police report, 3 students came to the same police beat and wanted to make a report that they have been molested by two foreigners from unknown country. What has gotten to our society? Is getting foreign workers is a good things for this society and this country? Well time will tell.

PPS. The locksmith managed to fix my ignition module and did all the necessary programming so now I am driving the car again.