• by Kevin Swallow
Page 9
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Criminal gangs are targeting unsuspecting UK hauliers to transport stolen equipment out of the country, according to a plant equipment recovery body.
The National Plant and Equipment Register (TER) claims £150m worth of plant equipment is stolen each year with the majority of it shipped out of the country to Ireland, Eastern Europe and Africa via Greece. The latest tactic used by gangs is to get a haulier to take a load to foreign soil and dump it and the trailer in a lay-by.
TER spokesperson Tim Purbrick wants hauliers who are unsure of their load to contact TER and check that they are not transporting stolen equipment. It has an extensive database of registered site machinery and stolen gear. It works closely with UK Police, Ireland's Garda and the EU's Europol to track stolen items.
In the past four years TER has recovered £8m worth of equipment. It has a team of four investi gators—former police officers and plant and equipment experts—who can help identify stolen goods over the phone within minutes, according to Purbrick.
TER says the signs to look out for include: overnight movement of one-off deliveries; where you don't know the client and it's cash on delivery; where documentation is different to the load; one-off container work; and loading in odd places like service stations or away from warehouses. Some insurance companies are offering rewards for recovered goods.
• For more information see TER's web site www.ter-uk.com or phone the register's confidential hotline on 01225 464599.