GPS theft targeted in national police crackdown

A national crackdown on GPS thefts is set to target thieves that steal from agricultural machinery, in a joint effort from the Rural Crime Action Team and the newly launched National Rural Crime Unit.

Termed “Operation Walrus”, measures will include increased farm patrols, property marking sessions and crime prevention advice for farmers.

It comes as latest reports show that there have been 113 GPS thefts from farms reported since the start of the year.

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Sergeant Tom Nuttall, from the Rural Crime Action Team (RCAT), said: “Theft of GPS equipment causes farmers much misery and also costs them serious amounts of money, so it’s fundamentally important we tackle this increasing problem head-on.

“While there have been arrests and convictions, there is still a lot of work to be done to tackle these organised crime gangs who target farms using sophisticated methods.”

The police forces believe that there are currently at least two active criminal gangs operating throughout the UK, with evidence to suggest that the criminals often operate across various locations. 

DC Chris Piggott, from the National Rural Crime Unit (NRCU), said: “Offenders are willing to travel the length and breadth of the country to steal GPS systems.

“We’re seeing reports of thefts from every part of Britain – not just the arable areas in the east of England – with recent clusters of thefts in north-west and north-east England and Scotland.”