Authorities say three car thefts have recently taken place in Millburn.

In two of those cases, police say the car owners left their key fobs inside their vehicles.

Authorities say many car thefts across the state involve drivers leaving their vehicles unlocked and leaving their key fobs inside.

A BMW was taken from a home on Highland Avenue in Short Hills on May 15, according to police. In that case, authorities were told by the owner that they left the key inside the car. Police say the vehicle was later found abandoned in Irvington.

Police say a BMW 5 Series was taken during the afternoon of May 17 at the Upton, an upscale residential area. The vehicle owner had left the car unlocked and the key fob inside. That car was later found in Newark, according to police.

On May 19, police say a suspect entered through the rear window of a Clinton Avenue home, ransacked the house and grabbed car keys before leaving with a BMW X7.

Authorities say the cars are being used for joy rides or to commit crimes in some cases. Other cars are being taken to the Port of New York and New Jersey, where they are stored in containers to be shipped overseas for resale.

Customs and Border Protection says that thousands of cars from the tri-state area are being loaded on ships and headed to Africa.

The CBP works to figure out which containers are holding the stolen cars by checking manifestos for inconsistent container weights and by using X-ray technology.

While thefts continue to be a problem, state officials say that car thefts are down 26% this year compared to 2022.