State Duma to Rule on Cars Stolen Abroad

A bill has been submitted to the State Duma granting the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) the authority to establish a special procedure for registering vehicles that are on Interpol«s wanted list. The document was introduced by the government on July 17.

Since March 2022, Interpol has ceased direct cooperation with Russian law enforcement agencies. As a result, thousands of cars legally imported into the country ended up on the organization«s blacklists, and their owners cannot register them with the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate (GIBDD).

Deputy Chairman of the State Duma«s Security Committee Andrei Lugovoy reported that about six thousand cars purchased by Russians are on Interpol»s wanted list. He highlighted the so-called «Canadian-Emirati scheme»: «Canada has become a global hub for car theft. Interpol has received requests to search for over 80,000 vehicles. Most of the allegedly stolen cars in Canada were bought new by our citizens from dealerships in the UAE.»

An example of this situation is the case of Danila from St. Petersburg. In 2023, he bought a Dodge Ram pickup in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan). When trying to sell the car in Russia, it turned out that it was listed as stolen in Canada, with the theft occurring six months before the sale, and it only appeared in Interpol«s database seven months later.

GIBDD refused registration, but the police found no grounds to open a criminal case for theft.

The Moscow District Court of St. Petersburg recognized Danila as a bona fide purchaser and noted Interpol«s »sanctions.« The ruling stated: »The introduction by a foreign state of such a regime of essentially unlawful restrictions on the owner«s right to use their property essentially undermines the institution of respect for private property, guaranteed by the Russian Constitution and international legal norms.» The court granted the claim to remove the car from the blacklist.

The appellate court upheld the decision, noting that «the information on the applicant»s vehicle being on an Interpol wanted list placed in GIBDD«s records is based on unconfirmed data regarding the fact of theft.»

However, the Supreme Court overturned these rulings. The higher court stated that Russian police «do not have the technical capability to edit or delete information about international vehicle searches placed in Interpol»s databases by foreign law enforcement agencies.« The court emphasized: »The court«s conclusion about the owner»s good faith in possessing the car has no legal significance and does not constitute grounds for nullifying public-law records of the search.«

Similar lawsuits from other car owners, such as the owner of a GMC Yukon Denali pickup, were also rejected. The ruling in her case noted: «The applicant»s possession of purchase documents does not negate the fact of the vehicle«s theft in Canada and does not terminate its search, the control period of which has not yet expired.»

A former head of St. Petersburg«s vehicle registration system explained that automatic Interpol checks only became possible in late 2023 when the database was connected to the unified FIS-M system. Before that, checks were done semi-manually. In the short period from late 2023 to early 2026, Russian registration and examination departments (MREO) gained the ability to identify cars stolen abroad in real time, but what to do with them afterward was unclear.

The MVD acknowledges the problem. According to the agency, 123 cars have been found in Russia based on Germany«s requests alone, but German police are avoiding cooperation. Many cars are also on the wanted list at the request of Ukraine. Officials state that »the lack of information from such countries about the reasons and circumstances for placing vehicles on international wanted lists prevents making objective decisions.«

The MVD-drafted bill delegates to the ministry the authority to define «specifics of performing registration actions with respect to vehicles on the international wanted list.» However, lawyer Ratmir Pliev warns of risks: «Until the search period expires, it will be impossible to drive the car outside Russia. Additionally, if the country that initiated the search confirms the theft, the registration in Russia could be annulled and the vehicle confiscated.»

Formally, the car remains the property of the owner and can be used off public roads, as the Civil Code of the Russian Federation does not tie ownership to registration. However, for full use on roads, the situation remains unresolved, and the bill aims to eliminate this conflict.