Four jailed for 250-truck theft
Page 12
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
by Miles Brignall and Patrick Hook • Four members of a highly-skilled gang responsible for the theft of more than 250 trucks from all over the UK have been jailed for between two and three years following the largest ever undercover operation by the Stolen Vehicle Squad.
The four were part of a 22-man gang based in Deptford, South London capable of dismantling a £100,000 truck in an hour, loading the component parts into containers for shipment abroad.
Last week's trial at Southwark Crown Court was the culmination of sixmonth Operation Sallow, carried out during 1993.
Charles Louka, John Connolly, and Francis Okulaja all of Bermondsey, London, and Leslie Peg rum, of Deptford, London, each received jail sentences of 2 years, 2 years 9 months, 3 years and 3 years respectively. All had pleaded not guilty.
The principal suspect, Robert Alexander of Crawley, West Sussex, who had masterminded the operation, was jailed for six years after pleading guilty at Southwark Crown Court in June last year.
In all, 13 members of the gang have received custodial sentences.
The court heard the thefts usually took place before a weekend. The stolen trucks were then delivered to an open yard in South London where they were cut up—safe in the knowledge the theft would remain unreported until the following Monday.
Loads were passed on to other contacts in the criminal underworld. Anything that could not be re-sold was crushed and sold as scrap. The packed containers were often sent via reputable shipping companies and agents who were unaware the parts were stolen. Shipments went to Turkey, Malaysia, South Africa, Singapore and Australia.