Cargo thefts on the rise as Christmas nears

With Christmas just around the corner, police are warning haulage firms to be on their guard after thefts of goods from trailers to sell on the black market as presents soar.

Toys, food, white goods, and perfumes are among the products that organised crime gangs are targeting for a quick resale, with 140 such crimes reported in the West Mercia force area this year – almost double last year’s total of 83.

Earlier this month, a trailer full of cheeses with an estimated value of £50,000 was stolen from Strensham services on the M5 and another full of household goods including washing powder and food was taken from the Hartlebury Trading estate near Kidderminster on 26 November.

They have contributed to an estimated loss value of £1.35million in cargo from service stations at Frankley, Strensham, Telford and Hopwood over the past few years and officers said there are likely to be more opportunities for gangs as deliveries ramp up to meet consumer demand at Christmas.

Detective Sergeant Andrew Farmer of the field intelligence team in South Worcestershire said: “We continue to work collaboratively with partner forces to tackle these crimes as part of Operation Yard, which sees officers deter criminal gangs from targeting delivery lorries by ensuring police are present in hot-spot areas, especially during the evenings, and issue security advice to lorry drivers.”