Bizarre farm crimewave linked with Australia
January 21, 2008 08:01pm
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."
