CARS ARE STOLEN BY USING FORCEFUL MEANS TO ENTER THE CAR, DUPLICATE KEYS, OR SPECIAL TOOLS AND STOLEN IGNITION KEYS, OR BY FRAUDULENTLY RENTING A CAR AND THEN CHANGING ITS APPEARANCE AND LICENSE PLATES. STOLEN CARS ARE THEN EITHER TRANSPORTED THROUGH YUGOSLAVIA, ITALY, FRANCE, OR SPAIN TO MEDITERRANEAN PORTS FOR SHIPMENT TO THE MIDDLE EAST OR SENT BY THE LAND ROUTE TO THE SAME DESTINATION. THE STOLEN AUTOS ARE USUALLY SOLD IN TURKEY, THE NETHERLANDS, OR SYRIA AND SMUGGLED BACK TO EUROPE WITH FORGED PAPERS OR RESOLD IN DUTY-FREE ZONES OF THE MIDDLE EAST. TRANSPORT OF STOLEN CARS ACROSS BORDERS IS FACILITATED BY THE SHORTAGE OF CUSTOMS OFFICERS AND THE CONSEQUENT FAILURE OF BORDER GUARDS TO CHECK OUTGOING USED CARS CAREFULLY; BY UNCLEAR REGULATIONS ON OWNERSHIP OF CARS TRANSPORTED OUT OF THE COUNTRY BY TRAIN EITHER AS FREIGHT OR AS TOURIST VEHICLES; AND BY THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC'S CENTRAL LOCATION AND OPEN BORDERS, AS WELL AS BY ITS UNQUESTIONING ACCEPTANCE OF DATA ON FORGED INTERNATIONAL LICENSE PLATES AND PAPERS. THE LAWS GOVERNING STOLEN CARS WHICH HAVE BEEN RESOLD ABROAD VARY WIDELY FROM COUNTRY TO COUNTRY SO THAT IN MANY CASES THE STOLEN CARS CANNOT BE RECOVERED AND REMAIN IN POSSESSION OF THE NEW OWNERS, IF THEY WERE NOT AWARE THAT THE CARS WERE STOLEN AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. --IN GERMAN. (KMD)