Criminals from east Jerusalem were able to use information from a Hyundai and Kia data leak to steal dozens of brand new luxury cars and smuggle them into the West Bank.

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Israel Police recently arrested three east Jerusalem residents who were able to access data from the two companies, and using that data, were able to hack the cars’ computers.

Hyundai Tuscon (Photo: Roee Zuckerman)

The group would drive around looking for Kias and Hyundais, and upon finding them, would look for the registration number. Using the registration number, the group would used hacked data to find the anti-theft protection number, as well as the code to make the car keys for that specific car.

The keys were then produced in the West Bank.

Car keys reproduced using data hacked from company servers (Photo: Israel Police)

With keys in hand, the gang would go to the home of owner of the car – information taken from the data leak – and would simply unlock the door and drive off into the West Bank to be sold in the Palestinian car market.

The police believe that dozens of cars were stolen from Jerusalem and the surrounding area in this manner. The majority of the cars were brand new luxury models, amounting to several million shekels in thefts.

Hyundai and Kia representatives and CEOs were kept abreast of the investigations by the Israel Police.