FTA is represented on a number of police and industry groups including JAGOLT (the Joint Action Group On Lorry Theft) and TruckWatch. This bulletin is circulated to members as part of our commitment to support the police in their work against lorry and load theft.

It would be appreciated if you would bring the following notices to your drivers’ attention, or to other members of staff as appropriate, when it is safe and convenient to do so.

URGENT

We have been asked to highlight the following intelligence alert on behalf of police in Scotland.

Criminal activity in the Aviemore area, also Grantown on Spey, Inverness, Badenoch, Strathspey area generally.

Northern Constabulary Police have received reliable intelligence which suggests that the Aviemore area will be targeted by a gang of criminals from Liverpool over this coming weekend of 3 – 4 February. Their intent is to steal hgvs and/or their loads.

We ask that all hauliers and transport companies make their staff aware of this, and any suspicious activity should be reported immediately via the 999 system.

Intelligence of the wrong sort

Criminals continue to attempt to gain intelligence by making persistent enquiries over the phone to transport companies. Last week a number of calls were made to a major distributor to establish what time the last vehicles were leaving the site, before enquiring how many would be leaving on night trunk movements later on. After a few more searching questions the warehouse employee put down the phone and reported the incident to his supervisor. Since then a further attempt has been made to ascertain stock movements.

Be aware, and keep your staff alert to these sorts of calls.

Vehicle alerts

TruckPol has asked for details of any sightings of either of the following vehicles:

• white DAF tractor unit seen acting suspiciously around loaded trailers in a lorry park at Hilton, Derby, and later on at Lichfield, Staffs. Reg No DE02 NHA
  
  
• green Vauxhall Vectra T805 CFG and green VW Golf EN05 AUR: occupants behaving suspiciously at a commercial premises in Birmingham

Thefts on the move 1

Information from Leicestershire Constabulary: a re-emerging trend in their area is for criminals to follow a lorry when it leaves its depot in a vehicle with false plates. When the vehicle stops in traffic or at lights one suspect climbs on to the rear under-run bar and breaks seal on rear door. The door is opened and goods thrown on to road where accomplice in following vehicle picks them up. When the lorry slows down again the suspect jumps off, into the car and makes good his escape.

One victim has started using good quality padlocks on the rear doors which seems to have thwarted the attacks.

Thefts on the move 2

We have also received a report of an attempted hi-jacking in the North-East on the A1 near Gateshead. An agency driver carrying general traffic advised that at approximately 11.45pm a white 03-plated Combo and a blue Transit van boxed him in and tried to force him off the road. The driver kept control, reported the incident back to base and was advised to keep on driving and not to stop.

Try and try again

A green Ford Escort van with registration mark similar to X471 HDR is sought by West Midlands Police. This vehicle with two black males on board followed a loaded hgv out of Minworth, West Midlands, made several determined attempts to force the lorry to stop and one of the occupants held up a handwritten notice saying “your back doors are open”.

Ever been stopped by bogus policemen or VOSA officials?

A reminder to everyone that FTA has ‘vulnerable load cards’ available for sale through Shopfta. These bright yellow A4 size cards are intended for use by drivers who have high value or specialised and very desirable loads on board, who are stopped by criminals impersonating police or other officials. The card indicates that the driver will only open the doors of his vehicle at a police station unless the stop is genuine and the “officer” can prove his identity.

If anyone has information regarding the items in this Theft Alert you can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 as well as the contact numbers given below.

Other contacts

TRUCKWATCH
Some areas of the UK operate TruckWatch schemes, whereby companies in a local area undertake to watch out for each other if one of the group members reports a vehicle stolen. To find out whether a scheme operates in your area contact your local police station.

TRUCKPOL
TruckPol is a nationwide police intelligence service which records information on all aspects of road freight crime. By submitting information to TruckPol you could be helping to solve a serious crime in our industry.
Tel: 0207 230 7775
Fax: 0207 230 7774
Email: truckpol@met.pnn.police.uk

OPERATION INDICATE
Operation Indicate is a regional initiative based at Wednesbury police station which aims to reduce the number of victims of road freight crime across the Midlands. Forces involved are West Midlands, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and West Mercia, supported by the National Criminal Intelligence Service and Central Police Motorway Group.
Tel: 0121 626 9121
Fax: 0121 626 9100

FTA
If you would prefer us to make contact with the police on your behalf, FTA’s manager of lorry and load theft issues is Donald Armour.
Tel: 01892 55 22 61
Fax: 01892 534 989
Email: darmour@fta.co.uk