Over 26,000 motorcycles stolen and snatched in Karachi this year so far

Motorcycle theft and snatching have increased to alarming levels in Karachi with more than 26,000 incidents reported so far this year, according to a report released by the Anti-Vehicle Lifting Cell (AVLC).

The report paints a grim picture of the city’s street crime situation, highlighting a sharp increase in motorcycle-related offenses.

From January to mid-July 2025, a total of 26,126 motorcycles were either stolen or snatched at gunpoint across the city. Only 1,900 motorcycles have been recovered, which is just a small fraction of the total thefts.

In January, 640 motorcycles were reported snatched. February saw 580 motorcycles taken at gunpoint, while another 3,393 were stolen. In March, 594 snatching cases were recorded along with 3,805 thefts. April witnessed 580 motorcycles snatched and 3,347 stolen.

The month of May saw the highest number of snatching cases this year, with 717 incidents, in addition to 3,373 motorcycles reported stolen.

In June, 621 motorcycles were snatched at gunpoint and another 3,378 stolen by lifters.

So far in July, 225 armed snatching incidents have been reported, along with 1,450 motorcycle thefts.