Organised criminal gangs target farms

Sep 3 2009 by Neil McKay, The Journal

ORGANISED crime gangs are targeting North East farms in a search for stolen equipment to sell on a black market described as more profitable than drug smuggling.

Criminals are using stolen tractors, diggers and building equipment in the region to fence vast sums of dirty money, say industry experts.

New figures show machinery worth over £700,000 was stolen from farms and building sites in the North East last year.

But because the theft of plant machinery is not considered “sexy” it goes unnoticed a lot of the time, said Tom Purbrick, manager of the National Plant and Equipment Register, which compiled the report.

In County Durham 76 items were stolen including 21 trailers, 15 caravans and 12 quad bikes with a total value of £600,000.

In the Northumbria police force area, which includes Tyneside, Wearside and Northumberland, 16 items were stolen with a total value of £136,000.

Mr Purbrick said an increase in thefts was being driven by the recession.

“The used equipment trade is like a huge money laundering machine where criminals push stolen equipment into the trade at one end and get clean cash out at the other.