This is the shocking moment thieves steal a vehicle without the key by using a relay box. West Midlands Police have released what is believed, the first footage of a 'relay crime' where criminals can drive off with cars without the owner's keys. The incident happened in the Elmdon area of Solihull, Birmingham at 9pm on September 25. The footage shows two men pull up outside the victim's house, holding a relay box, which is a device used to receive signals through walls, doors and windows, but not metal.