BUDAPEST, Apr 3: More than 10.000 cars worth 23 billion forints (about 170 million US dollars), mostly luxury models, were stolen in Hun-ry in 1995 and the number expected to rise this year, gUce^authoritles said, reports

Together with drug trafflck ing and prostitution, car theft has become one of the easiest ways of making big bucks for criminal gangs which are increasingly rampant tn Hungary

About 8.000 of the 12.130 missing cars in 1995 were stolen in the capital. Imported brands like Mercedes. Audi. Volkswagen and BMW are popular with the thieves because they are easier to sell once transported Into Russia and Ukraine.

The police source* said that there are about 2.000 specially-trained car thieves in the country, belonging to 10 to 15 big syndicates

Newspapers have accused customs officers and policemen of taking bribes from the syndicates to turn a blind eye to their criminal activities,