Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller Season 2 Episode 7 Stolen Cars

In season 2 episode 7 of "Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller," titled "Stolen Cars," the focus is on the illegal business of car theft and the black market trade that profits from it. Mariana van Zeller takes viewers on a journey through the global underworld network of car thieves, revealing the immense scale of this illicit trade and the tactics used by these criminal organizations to steal and sell automobiles.

The episode starts with Mariana meeting with a top executive of the National Insurance Crime Bureau, an organization that analyzes and tracks patterns of car theft across the United States. After a brief introduction to the scope of the problem, Mariana travels to Detroit, which has the highest rate of car theft in the country. Here, she speaks with local police officers who explain the challenges they face in trying to prevent car theft and the various ways criminals operate in this field.

From Detroit, the investigation moves on to Japan, which has one of the lowest rates of car theft in the world. Mariana visits the National Police Agency in Tokyo to learn about the country's sophisticated anti-theft technology and how it has helped reduce car theft. She also meets with a car thief who gives her an inside look into how he used to steal cars before he was caught. This segment provides a fascinating contrast between two very different approaches to the issue of car theft.

Next, Mariana heads to Mexico, where she discovers that the stolen car business is big business. She meets with members of a car theft ring who demonstrate how they steal cars from across the border in the U.S. and smuggle them into Mexico to be sold. Mariana also meets with law enforcement officials and activists who are working to combat the problem of car theft in Mexico and put an end to this lucrative criminal enterprise.

The final leg of the journey takes Mariana to Ukraine, which has become a hub for the illegal export of stolen cars to Europe and beyond. She meets with a car theft gang who show her how they steal cars in broad daylight and the techniques they use to evade the authorities. She also speaks with law enforcement officials and victims of car theft who have had their vehicles stolen and taken to Ukraine to be sold.

Throughout the episode, Mariana reveals the scale of the car theft problem and how it affects individuals, communities, and even entire nations. She also highlights the ingenuity of the criminals involved in this trade and the measures that are being taken to try and stop them.

Overall, "Stolen Cars" is a gripping and eye-opening exploration of a little-known criminal enterprise that has far-reaching consequences. Mariana van Zeller's investigative journalism and in-depth reporting provide a compelling look at the challenges facing law enforcement and the efforts being made to combat this very real and growing problem.