Police tug
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iauliers on thefts
by Karen Miles • Hauliers are at the heart of truck thefts worth millions of pounds, say police, who last week charged six people for their alleged involvement in an international crime ring.
The charges came during a flurry of activity against vehicle crime. Officers in another three areas arrested eight people from travellers camps in an attempt to stamp-out panel van theft.
The two separate operations are being hailed by the police as the "tip of the iceberg" as they vow to delve deeper in the fight against the organised crime. They claim to have uncovered international and national criminal networks involving the theft of hundreds of commercial vehicles.
The six, charged for conspiracy involving the alleged theft of goods vehicles, include managers from haulage firms in South Humberside and the Scunthorpe region of South Yorkshire.
They follow charges brought last month against three people for the alleged theft of five goods vehicles and trailers. The three had been working for a Scunthorpe firm. All nine have been released on bail.
The charges result from a three-month investigation by South Humberside and South Yorkshire police which took officers to the Caribbean. Police say equipment worth £97,000 has been returned as a result of the work, with part of it being exported and traced to Jamaica.
South Humberside police are warning other hauliers suspected of involvement in truck theft that they will come under scrutiny. Detective chief inspector Bob Kirk says: "Our inquiries are still far from complete. We will be looking at other haulage companies."
The force is also expected to look into the theft of diesel Ford Transit vans in Humberside and the Yorkshire regions.
Kirk started his investigations because of the growing volume of truck thefts. "In Humberside alone, 40 HGVs were being stolen every six months and we weren't getting them back. It seems they were being cut up and exported to Jamaica."
Meanwhile, police in three west of England forces—Avon and Somerset, Devon and Cornwall and West Mercia— have made eight arrests following co-ordinated swoops on three sites occupied by travellers All eight have been released on bail.
The raids at Bristol, Honiton and Kidderminister followed police suspicions that panel vans were being stolen to order and given
"new"
log books from scrap vehicles.
The raids are said to have led police to discover a highly developed nationwide intelligence service developed by the travellers.
PC Ian Gibson fmm Avon and Somerset says; "We got a good deal of intelligence out of the raids. We've also recovered a number of engines and documents... At the moment we're concentrating on the information we've got and then we'll hopefully get to the next stage which will bring more arrests."
The police action in the north and west of England follows widespread criticism from hauliers that police have so far taken too little interest in truck theft.
A recent survey by the Forum of Private Business revealed transport companies suffer worst from crime—ahead of the construction, retail, wholesale and manufacturing industries and all other services.
Earlier this month the country's top detectives said truck theft and other organised crime required the setting up of a national criminal investigation agency. More than 90% of the 150 detectives said they thought crime would worsen with next year's opening of the Channel Tunnel (CM 22-28 July).