18 June 2009

FIGHT BACK in GERMANY: A private security guard observed 2 offenders, at night, breaking into a parked truck nearby to the “Hockenheimring” (race track) The thieves were disturbed and escaped by foot - however they were later arrested by local Police after patrols in the local area. The offenders were from Poland and police are now carrying out further investigations concerning several unsolved vehicle and cargo crimes in the general district.

12 June 2009

MIDLANDS & NORTH: A mini spate of Recovery Truck thefts is starting to build up. This might be anything from a trailer system through to expensive all-in-one crane and pulley recovery trucks. Age of vehicles, which are predominantly Ivecos, seems no deterrent as trucks from 1989 onwards have been taken. There is no strong hint that these vehicles are being broken up, therefore we request you to be vigilant in spotting unusual additions to haulage yards and known parking areas.

14 May 2009

FIGHT BACK in the MIDLANDS: At just after 0300hrs, CMPG resources in conjunction with officers from Gloucestershire, attended the lorry park at Strensham Motorway Services, M5 northbound (Jun 8) and identified a stationary DAF 7.5 box van which fitted the description of a vehicle seen earlier in suspicious circumstances around the Vale Truck Stop on the A46 just off M5(Jun 9) Two persons were initially in the lorry but decamped and were found hiding in the bushes. A search of the lorry revealed a quantity of confectionary which was subsequently identified as property stolen a short time earlier by way of a curtain side slashing from a lorry parked on the Vale truck stop. Both suspects were taken to Cheltenham Police Stn and the lorry has been seized for evidence.

31st March 2009

CUMBRIA: The below trailers are similar to two that were stolen from a site in Penrith between midnight and 04:50hrs on the 31st March 2009. There have been several incidents of tankers being stolen over the last couple of months. The tankers are of very high value, and on this occassion, associated with the food industry. One contained 27000 litres of milk when stolen. Tankers of this type could now be illegally transporting any form of product. UPDATE June - Tankers still unrecovered, no reports of watercourses being polluted with milk products or other flushings. Take note of any significant sightings out-of-context (tankers at Ports/non-specialised ovenight parking)

4th March 2009

LEICESTERSHIRE: There has been a recent increase in theft from LGV's overnight where thieves are targeting curtain-sider trailers parked on the A5 bordering Warwickshire and the north of the county along the A42/M42. Drivers are asked to avoid the area if at all possible and to be vigilant overnight if they can't find more secure parking.

WARWICKSHIRE: For the latest news on the attempted robbery of a Turkish registered lorry and the subsequent death of one of the alleged suspects in Coleshill on Thursday 26th February, click here

12th February 2009

METROPOLITAN: The Metropolitan Police Service (Operation GRAFTON) is once again warning hauliers collecting and delivering in London to be alert to a variation on the 'round the corner' load diversion scam. On 6th February, a courier company was sent to collect a high value consignment of shoes from Sloane Street, SW3 and deliver them to an address in Romford, East London. The shipment had been set up by a man giving his name as 'Martin' using mobile phone 07960347185 who deceived the consignor into believing it was a genuine deal. This method of stealing loads has been well described previously and relies on consignor and consignee failing to verify caller details, assuming (incorrectly) that the caller is legitimate. Anyone who has suffered a similar fraud or who has dealt with the subject described above is asked to contact TruckPol. For further information how to combat this type of fraud, see our crime prevention section.

WEST MIDLANDS: Three Merseyside men were arrested for a number of freight crime offences on 8th February as a result of a joint operation between the Central Motorway Police Group and Merseyside Police. A number of computer consoles were recovered and police enquiries are continuing.

2nd February 2008

HUMBERSIDE: Five men have been arrested following an investigation into the theft of copper from Humberside in January this year. Stolen paperwork was used to secure the release of a 25 tonne load of copper worth around £55,000 from Immingham Docks, using a tractor unit on false registration plates. The men were arrested in Staffordshire after they tried to deliver the consignment to a metal dealer. Police are appealing for more information on a V-registered dark coloured Scania 520 tractor unit which was used in this crime. Anyone with information is asked to contact TruckPol or Crimestoppers in confidence.

15th January 2009

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE: Police in Northamptonshire have announced a 20% drop in thefts of lorry loads in 2008. For the full story, click on the link www.northants.police.uk/today

WEST MIDLANDS: A German registered LGV carrying 23 tonnes of copper/brass was attacked just after midnight on 14th January 2009 whilst parked in Rabone Park, Rabone Lane, Smethwick, West Midlands. The driver was approached by a man who told him that someone was stealing fuel from his tanks. When he got out to investigate he was pulled out by three masked white men in their 30's and restrained whilst another offender stole the vehicle. The blue DAF XF105 cab registration number KMDT303 and blue 40' curtain sided trailer registration number PCR287 are still outstanding. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact TruckPol or Crimestoppers in confidence.

12th January 2009

WEST MIDLANDS: A Polish lorry driver was attacked in the early hours of this morning as he slept in his cab on the A38, Sutton Coldfield Bypass, near the junction with Oxleys Road, Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham. He was dragged out of cab by several men and assaulted before being tied up and left at the road side as his unit and trailer loaded with confectionary was stolen. The empty trailer was abandoned nearby soon after and the cab unit was later found burnt out in Derbyshire. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact TruckPol or Crimestoppers in confidence.

23rd December 2008

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE: TruckPol is warning drivers to be on the alert after a courier driver was attacked at knifepoint in the early hours of yesterday morning on the A6 Burton Latimer By-Pass, towards the A14. The driver reported that he was followed by a dark coloured vehicle which flashed his lights indicating for him to pull over. When he pulled over and got out to ask the other driver what was wrong, the man pulled out a kitchen knife and told him to open up his vehicle. When the driver told the man that he wasn't carrying anything, he lunged at him, puncturing his jacket with the knife, but fortunately not causing any injury. The offender then made his escape in his own vehicle. He is described as a white man, aged around 30yrs old, 6'0" tall, stocky build, 3-4 days of stubble, wearing jeans and a dark coat. Anyone who saw the incident or has any information is asked to contact TruckPol or Crimestoppers.

19th December2008

LANCASHIRE: Four Merseyside men were arrested in the early hours of the morning after they were spotted stealing several boilers from a lorry parked parked up for the night at the M61 Bolton West Services, Cheshire.

STAFFORDSHIRE Four pallets of washing powder were stolen from a curtain-sided lorry parked overnight in a layby on the A500 off junction 15 of the M6 after thieves cut the curtains.

WEST MERCIA A quantity of body spray was stolen from a curtain-sided lorry parked overnight in a service road near the M42 Hopwood Services after thieves cut the curtains.

9th December 2008

MERSEYSIDE: Over 20 years of prison sentences were handed out to a gang of truck criminals from Merseyside on the 28th November as a result of close work between three North West police forces, the Serious Organised Crime Agency and TruckPol.The group of 11 criminals from Merseyside operated across the United Kingdom, stealing thousand of pounds worth of goods from HGVs and distribution centres.Ring leader Frank Oakford was handed a sentence of four and a half years for his role as organiser, handler and reseller of the stolen goods. Merseyside, Cheshire and Lancashire Police were all involved with the operation, which used Truckpol's hot crime news, recurring crime locations and network of information to close the net on the criminals.

Judge David Aubrey highlighted the impact that this group's activities had caused to the industry and praised the police investigation.

The officer in charge of the operation, Detective Inspector Steve Marr, said: "This organised and slick gang of criminals caused an insurmountable level of disruption to the haulage industry across the UK in the time they were in action. I am delighted that we have managed to bring them to justice. It is not only the immediate loss of having a truck, trailer and load stolen which must be considered in theses crimes. The impact goes much further for the industry, with repair costs to premises, payment for a rescheduled delivery, rise in insurance premiums and disruption to schedules affecting every aspect of business. TruckPol was instrumental in tracking down these criminals and coordinating our surveillance. Without it we would have faced a lengthy process of evidence gathering which would've been slowed by the number of forces we had to liaise with. The central database at Truckpol eliminated this issue and consequently shortened the time it took to convict these criminals. We also used information provided by TruckPol to compile an impact statement for the courts, which the judge used as a guideline for sentencing and referred to in his summing up."

3rd December 2008

MIDLANDS: TruckPol is warning hauliers to be vigilant after a series of violent attacks on LGV drivers this month and one high value theft of a LGV and container. On 1st December at 1:00am several men forced their way into a lorry parked on the eastbound A45 at Collingtree, Northampton, overpowered the Polish driver and stole his load of satellite receivers valued at over £400,000.

Four hours later, at Crystal Drive, Smethwick, West Midlands, another Polish driver was lured from his cab by a man posing as a security guard. He was then attacked by 4 other men, bundled into the boot of a Silver Vauxhall Omega and his lorry and extremely high value load of DVD's was stolen. The driver was later abandoned in Worcestershire.

The following day at approximately 6:00am an LGV was stolen and the driver kidnapped after being attacked by 4 masked men wielding metal bars in Pope Lane, Oldbury, West Midlands. The driver was abducted and his high value load of nickel was stolen. The driver was later abandoned two miles away, the unit was recovered in Staffordshire and the empty trailer was recovered in West Midlands.

METROPOLITAN: A driver for a courier company was robbed in broad daylight just after collecting a load of computers from Brookmead Industrial Etate, Croydon. He had parked outside the depot with his engine running to check his route when two white men aged 25-30yrs old, one with a light blue hoodie on and the other with a goatee beard, opened his door and jumped in. They attacked the driver, hitting him witha hammer and breaking one of his forearms. One suspect took his place and drove the van whilst the other overpowered him. Fortunately the driver managed to jump from the van when it slowed at a junction, sustaining further injuries in the process. The van was found abandoned a few days later nearby but the load is still missing.

Anyone with information about these attacks should contact TruckPol or Crimestoppers.

28th November 2008

METROPOLITAN: After a number of recent 'round the corner' thefts in North and East London, TruckPol is again warning hauliers and drivers delivering into these areas to be vigilant for this method of stealing loads. Deliveries of alcohol, perfumes and electronic commodities are particularly popular with thieves but any load which can be split and resold is a target. Details of this scam are provided on the trainforlife.co.uk link from our homepage and involve a thief who will pose as a worker at the delivery address approaching the driver parked in the street and persuading him to offload direct into another vehicle nearby. Any number of excuses will be used such as a 'rush job', flooded or full warehouse, stocktaking and so on. DON'T BE FOOLED! If in doubt, call your transport office and ask them to verify the request with the delivery address transport office.

24th November 2008

LEICESTERSHIRE: A 2003 Crane Fruehauf tipper trailer was stolen yesterday evening from Meridian Business Park, Leicester. A £1000 reward is being offered for information leading to its recovery. Please contact Crimestoppers anonymously or TruckPol.

BOGUS HAULIER SUB-CONTRACTOR TruckPol is warning haulage and logistic companies to be vigilant when sub-contracting work after a spate of failed deliveries contracted out through cold calls or freight exchange web sites. One particular company, Manchester-based SB SOLUTIONS UK LTD has featured several times in recent weeks whereby high value loads contracted to be shipped from UK to the continent have failed to arrive. Anyone who has been subjected to similar frauds or with knowledge of this company is asked to contact TruckPol.

18th November 2008

NORHAMPTONSHIRE: Several reports of curtain slash offences have been reported at M1 Northampton Services (Northbound and Southbound) at Junction 15A, Northampton. Caution is advised when parking at this location.

4th November 2008

WEST MIDLANDS: A Romanian LGV parked overnight near its delivery destination in Middlemore Lane, Aldridge, was attacked in the early hours of yesterday morning. Three masked men attcked the driver, dragging him out of his cab and leaving him with injuries which required hospital treatment. The men then stole the LGV and 2 tonne load of brass. The tractor unit was found abandoned later in Staffordshire and the empty trailer was recovered in Wolverhampton. Anyone with information about this cowardly attack should contact TruckPol

20th October 2008

WEST YORKSHIRE: Police are advising drivers to avoid parking at the rest stop at Ferrybridge Moto Services on the M62 near junction 33, Pontefract as they are experiencing a large volume of overnight curtain slashing and thefts.

STAFFORDSHIRE: A Lithuanian driver was attacked in his cab last night at a location near the junction of the A5 and A461 known locally as 'Muckley Corner'. He was dragged from cab and assaulted by several males and his lorry, a white Renault Magnum bearing registation number DCC170 and curtain side 40' trailer with 'DSV' in letters on side carrying a consignment of wine, was stolen. This is the third such attack in Staffordshire in the last month so hauliers are asked to be vigilant and always choose the securest parking available.

13th October 2008

WARWICKSHIRE: Four West Midlands men were arested in the early hours of this morning after the stolen lorry they were in broke down on the on the M40 near Junction 15, Warwick. A police patrol car which attended identified that the lorry was bearing false registration plates and contained numerous flat screen TV's which the occupants had recently stolen from a parked lorry nearby.

STAFFORDSHIRE: A lorry and its load of car batteries stolen from a company yard in Burton on Trent overnight was found by West Midlands police in Birmingham today. Police officers who attended the scene found vehicle minus its load but enquiries led them to a nearby warehouse where two men were arrested and the load recovered.