Speakers at IFSEC are to reveal the latest trends in lorry load theft – causing losses of £500m to UK plc.
Speakers at IFSEC are to reveal the latest trends in lorry load theft – causing losses of £500m to UK plc. It is more important than ever to share information and respond to the risks of terrorism and crime in the logistics supply chain, says Frank Heinrich-Jones, Director of Transport Risk and Security Management at Hampshire-based PLC Consultancy Services. He puts the cost of lorry load theft in the UK at more than £500m, including the values of stolen property reported; police and private sector investigation costs; plus increased insurance premiums and other hidden costs. He says: ‘Many types of goods are being targeted, nappies, soap powder, confectionery and food stuffs, plus the more traditional theft-attractive products such as cigarettes, wines and spirits, fashion clothing and of course the hi-tech goods, mobile phones, computers, chips and hard drives.’ PLC were commissioned in 2000 to study anti-theft devices and tracking systems for the Crime in Transport Steering Group of the European Conference of Ministers of Transport, a Paris-based intergovernmental organisation to facilitate discussion between transport ministers on mutual transport problems across Europe. As industry liaison co-ordinators, PLC are one year into a three-year contract with the UK National Stolen Lorry Desk, run by Essex Police. DC Iain McKinnon, who heads the desk, at force headquarters in Chelmsford, and colleague Margaret Smith are paid by the haulage and insurance industry. Frank Heinrich-Jones and Iain McKinnon are speaking at IFSEC on Wednesday morning, May 15.
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Pressure pays off
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Pressure from security-minded figures in the haulage industry has helped four Midlands police forces to launch a regional version of Operation Coppergold, a long-term initiative to tackle lorry crime in the region. West Mercia, Warwickshire and Staffordshire police have joined the West Mids initiative launched to tackle the problem of stolen lorries and their loads – which last year cost the West Midlands alone more than £11m, police say. Security consultant Frank Heinrich-Jones of PLC Consultancy Services, a backer of the Essex Police national stolen lorry load desk, said: ‘The national desk is very supportive of this long awaited initiative. It might be said to be a natural progression in the fight against this type of crime, particularly as the West Midlands lies at the heart of the country and is currently being hit hard by organised criminal gangs.’ Echoing this, Supt Steve Burrows, from West Midlands Police Crime Support Department, who met Mr Heinrich-Jones before Easter, said: ‘Criminals don’t recognise boundaries, and by the very nature of lorry crime thieves are prepared to travel hundreds of miles to get rid of both the lorries themselves and their loads, which are often worth several thousands pounds. By joining together to share information and intelligence we can begin to have a real impact on this type of crime.’ Lorry crime is among issues to be targeted by the new Regional Tasking Group, a Home Office initiative looking at regional intelligence gathering piloted across the Midlands region. Major sponsors of the Essex desk include Royal & Sun Alliance; Exel; the Road Haulage Association; and TNT Express.
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Help abroad
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A problem faced by lorry drivers when abroad is the difficulty in obtaining police help if they become victims of a crime, say those behind a new new pan-European service, EUROWATCH. Police emergency numbers cannot be dialled across borders; there are language barriers; and tracking data cannot be forwarded, denying police access to the very information of most value to them. As DC Iain McKinnon, Head of the UK National Stolen Lorry Load Desk says: ‘We have seen a noticeable increase over the last few years of drivers being targeted whilst abroad. Professional criminals now target foreign lorries because they know that they are more vulnerable and less able to obtain prompt police assistance if they encounter trouble.’ EUROWATCH provides access to police in foreign countries. It works via a single telephone number that a subscriber can call from any country, allowing information to be communicated in any European language. The service can forward vehicle tracking information direct to police in real-time, enabling them to respond faster and more precisely. This operates with all GPS-based systems. The service works through a central website www.eurowatchcentral.com and has a network of national service providers in each country, who have accreditation to police and provide service cover 24-35. Some 18 countries have EUROWATCH coverage: Austria; Belgium; Czech Republic; Denmark; Finland; France; Germany; Ireland; Italy; Netherlands; Norway; Poland; Portugal; Spain; Slovakia; Sweden; Switzerland; United Kingdom. John Nicholls, Loss Prevention Director of the TT Club, the freight insurance specialists, said: ‘Freight and lorry crime has become a major issue in Europe.ÿCriminals are exploiting known weaknesses in Europe’s lack of unified police cover, making the continent’s long haul lorry fleet far more vulnerable to crime as they cross between countries.ÿ EUROWATCH will go a long way to remedy that by giving drivers quick and easy access to police assistance wherever they might be.’ Peter Vyvyan-Robinson, Director of EUROWATCH said: ‘We have long recognised the need for a service that provides drivers with protection when crossing national borders.ÿClients realise that their vehicles and cargo are more vulnerable when outside their home country.’
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Happy ending
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Last year Norfolk haulage company Milbank Trucks had one truck and three Hiab cranes stolen from their yard in an overnight break-in. As customers of Siemens Datatrak, Milbank was able to track the vehicle to a Yorkshire scrap yard, whose owner was jailed for two and a half years for his part in the crime. When a Milbank driver told Managing Director Dave Watson of the theft, realised he could track the vehicle using Siemens Datatrak. The automatic vehicle tracking locator fitted on the truck revealed where it was. Norfolk police notified their northern counterparts; only for officers sent to the scene to be told there was nothing amiss. Police sent their helicopter to fly over the scrap yard; police videoed and photographed a hive of activity in the yard. Officers now found a truck cut into three parts, with various logos and tags burned and damaged to minimise the chances of identifying the vehicle. Dave Watson says: ‘It was amazing how quickly the people at the scrap yard were able to destroy the truck. The cab, chassis and truck bed had been separated and they were trying to burn the name off the truck. In another hour or so it may well have ‘disappeared’.’ Dave Watson said: ‘Milbank has used Datatrak for over four years to manage our fleet of 50 trucks. We are well used to using the system to send the most conveniently located driver to each job that we have, ensuring the fleet operated at optimal efficiency. We never imagined that we would need to use the same system to apprehend thieves.’ Michael Bateson, UK Managing Director of Siemens Datatrak said: ‘Security is increasingly an issue for our customers and vehicle tracking clearly has an important role to play in apprehending the perpetrators and providing the evidence to ensure justice is done. What happened to Millbank, while regrettable, should also act as a deterrent to other thieves.’
