Motives and methods (taken from the Word to the wise...)

[Andy Collins]

would they need a chipper in africa?

Surely they would just burn it as we once did

Same in E Europe

It's just waste disposal costs that generate chipper sales in UK plus labour costs obviously.

No such issue in Africa

 

So where are they all then?

I still believe it's going abroad. I believe the engines from a chipper can and are used in other machines other than chippers. The rest is maybe broken for scrap. The sheer volume of stolen gear including chippers surely is not still floating around here, even if every single company wanted something on the cheap, which I'm pretty sure isn't the case

Edited December 16, 2013 by Andy Collins

[nepia]

Others beat me to it: some gear undoubtedly goes abroad but to believe that most of it does is wrong I think.

 

An earlier post mentioned the thieves' cavalier attitude to theft victims being insured so why should that victim worry? There is (perhaps now was) an arb not far from here who was challenged by a colleague over the chassis number missing from his chipper: his response displayed exactly the same attitude. It was cheap so saved him money and the original owner got paid out didn't he so what's the fuss?

 

Tony Sorensen - I read that link and what is suggested there is the only hope of ever solving the problem isn't it: peer presssure is more powerful than a law ever will be that is almost impossible to enforce.

[Andy Collins]

Sorry to disappoint, but unfortunately plant, including ours, does travel abroad. Though I do concede a certain amount is "recycled" into the workplace here, I do strongly feel that the majority finds outlets abroad. http://www.professionalsecurity.co.uk/news/transport/plant-recovery-2/

Anyway, whichever the end result, the fact remains that we all have to be more switched on, less complacent, to beat the thief.

[Mortimer Firewood]

A couple of years ago there was a farm busted in Herefordshire and there was a bulker lorry with quads and clippers placed in it and was about to be filled with grain and then transported to Europe at the same farm a loaded firearm and other large machinery ie tractors loaders seed drills jcb all stolen locally. The guy was found guilty of multiple crimes and received a custodial sentence of 18 months out in 9. These people see jail as small risk for big returns.

Go to any of the big auctions up and down the country and you will see 50% of the stuff going abroad and I bet most of the stolen stuff goes to the same destination.

[markieg31]

I agree that the punishment for theft is not a deterrent for the perpetrators!

[Mortimer Firewood]

Then there was a gang pinching caravans... They would go in to town find four local junkies give them a fix take them out to a pre organised spot put them in a stolen 4x4 where they were sent to another gang who would be getting the caravan ready once they got them hooked up they were told go to a location do not stop until the police get you with a stinger. This gang was working in our area for years the caravans were goin on the ferry if Junky got as far as the ferry they got a grand if they got caught a community order or community service. What deterrent does that serve ???

[Paul Jenks]

Stealing saws and stuff is, without doubt, as serious business for some. The volumes that have disappeared recently and the consistent MO suggests professional gangs.

They must have a market for the stuff they steal. Wherever the market is, it has to be fed.

Taking a step back, cars used to be really easy to steal and sell, here or abroad. Then people got fed up with the inconvenience and the manufacturers made them more secure.

Therefore, to steal a modern car you need a gadget to block or read the plipper, break into someone's house and take the keys or simply car-jack them.

If we make more and more impenetrable yards, will the thieves start to look for quicker and more pro-active methodologies to get the kit?

[Lee Winger]

I'm a member of a boat fishing forum, loads of very expensive outboards are being stolen from marinas and moored boats etc, one gang was caught they were eastern Europeans and the engines were going abroad.

 

I'm with Andy Collins, a fair bit of knicked arb kit is being used in the UK but the majority I think is going abroad

[treequip]

Reading through the threads the moral to the story seems to be: Fit decent alarms/padlocks etc and there wont be any need to confront these scum. Totally agree with that:thumbup1:

 

The ones that did my yard had better techniques than your best padlock.

 

They used a tipper truck to ram 2 sets of gates then a chain to rip the door (shrouded padlock and all) off my shipping container.

[Dean Lofthouse]

The ones that did my yard had better techniques than your best padlock.

 

They used a tipper truck to ram 2 sets of gates then a chain to rip the door (shrouded padlock and all) off my shipping container.

 

They used the chain technique on mine, best way to combat that was to weld big pad bolts on the inside of the door that opens second, or even weld that door permanent shut if you don't need a big access door