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crime16h ago
Dream Australian trip turns into nightmare
- The Kent family’s LandCruiser was stolen in broad daylight on March 9 on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula using a key-cloning device.
- The family had saved over $80,000 for the trip, which was abruptly wiped out by the theft.
- Victoria Police say about 30 cars are stolen daily across the state using key-cloning technology.
- More than 850 LandCruisers were suspected stolen using the technology in 2025, up from prior years.
- The car was recovered but destroyed inside, after offenders released a fire extinguisher to erase evidence.
- The Kent family stranded with two young children and had to arrange a rental car home to Brisbane.
- The theft underscores rising use of security-busting tech in car crime across Victoria.
- Police identified the theft as part of a broader pattern of key-cloning–related car thefts in the state.
- The incident prompted the family to seek insurance support and reissue cards lost in the theft.
- The car theft occurred in broad daylight, highlighting the audacity of the crime.
- Authorities reported a sharp rise in thefts using cloning devices over the past three years.
- The story is tied to a wider national concern about vehicle security and evolving theft methods.
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