Bizarre farm crimewave hits UK
Pastor Dale Morgan
Bizarre farm crimewave hits UK*
From correspondents in London
January 21, 2008 08:01pm
Article from: AAP
HUNDREDS of tractors and other valuable pieces of agricultural equipment
are being stolen across Britain and shipped as far away as Australia in
a bizarre farm crimewave.
An international criminal gang is believed to be behind the theft of £3
million ($A6.69 million) worth of tractors, diggers, trailers and quad
bikes a year.
Police believe thieves have routinely been stealing two vehicles a night
from either farms or dealerships, The Times reported.
They then wait a few days before breaking into a different dealership
where they steal identification documents and electronic vehicle
management boxes, or "black boxes", from similar but unsold vehicles.
In one case a John Deere 6920 tractor and telescopic handler, which
works in a similar way to a forklift, worth £115,000 ($A256,639.14) were
stolen from a farm in Leicestershire.
Both vehicles were given new identification numbers and electronic boxes
stolen from another dealership.
They were then shipped to Sydney and Rotterdam in the Netherlands, with
the proceeds split between criminals in Australia and Britain, the
newspaper said.
Senior managers at Britain's National Plant and Equipment Register are
working with police to catch the thieves.
"From the criminal perspective, there is a low-risk, high-reward balance
in this activity," one of the register's managers Tim Purbrick told the
newspaper.
"Drug smuggling is high risk, but the chances of being caught stealing a
tractor are low, and stealing tractors is more lucrative."
Mr Purbrick said police believed the criminals could have previously
been Irish paramilitaries and had "morphed" their skills from terrorism
to theft.
"They use counter-surveillance techniques, are forensically aware and
have very good international criminal contacts," he said.
"They have even stolen seized equipment back from the police, which
shows how forward they are."