Suspects hell
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by Amanda Bradbury • The biggest ever Metropolitan Police truck theft investigation has ended with 12 arrests in Nottingham and London.
If found guilty five of those arrested face up to seven years in prison—one man could serve up to nine years.
Trucks worth millions of pounds are understood to he involved.
At the time of the London arrests, at 07:10hrs last Friday (13 August), one of two vehicles stolen the night before had already been stripped down to its engine and chassis, even before the owner of one of the vehicles knew it had gone.
Police recovered vehicles and parts worth about £430,000; it is believed that 26 LGV engines were found in addition to a Scania and a Seddon Atkinson brick truck which are thought to have been stolen in Sussex and Norfolk
One of the men arrested at the site, which is near to railway sidings in Deptford, London SE16, is a company director. Robert
ambridgeshire police are appealing for drivers to help them halt soaring truck theft levels in the county.
Ideas being considered by officers include asking drivers to ring a hotline on their cab phones if they see suspicious vehicles on the road.
Cambridgeshire detectives are known to be talking with colleagues in Kent whose pioneering truck watch scheme is now up and running (CM 1 218 August). Detective Chief Inspector Mick Harlock says: "Lorry drivers are aware of what's going on and they could get in touch with us if they spot anything suspicious. We are looking at feasible ways of getting help with this from local hauliers."
Theft levels in the county have rocketed in recent months with more than 70 trucks stolen isince the start of the year.
DCI Harlock says: 'Thefts have been increasing recently so we are looking at a number of ways of stopping this."