Stolen Land Rovers

[SiWhite]

Evening All,

Some on this forum might know that I'm a Police Officer. My Force is currently being hit very hard with thefts of Defenders. The half-county area I work has one stolen most nights. I've been asked to assist with my knowlege of the vehicles and links to the Land Rover community, with a view to getting any information possible on methods of theft, routes of vehicle disposal etc.

If you, or anyone you know, has some tenuous information which might prove useful, I'd love to hear it. Clearly I'm not saying that anyone on the forum steals Land Rovers but if you've had a vehicle stolen, or you know someone who has, I'd be really grateful of your assistance. I'm particularly interested in whether vehicles are being sold whole or broken.

I'm sure a few on this forum have suffered our collective worst nightmare - if you could spare a few moments to PM me details of the method used in the theft, I'm sure all Oxfordshire's Landy owners would be grateful. Useful details would be - was there any signs of broken glass left? Have you seen any sign of the Landy or parts since? What security measures have thwarted an attempted theft and what haven't worked? Was the landy pre-TD5 (i.e factory immobiliser)? Were the keys stolen? What about any really unique bits? Are the more challenge-prepared wagons going, or is it mostly standard vehicles?

If a couple of forum 'big guns' could post just to confirm my line of work so folk might feel better about PM'ing a stranger with these sensative details, I'd be grateful.

[bobtail4x4]

One problem is the complete lack of will to do anything by the police,

last year a mates Isuzu was stolen (with keys) it had a tracker on,

it was found in Doncaster with 5 similar vehicles outside a gypsy camp, when my mate asked what will you do about the other 5 he was told, "nothing they are not coming up as stolen," they didnt even run the numberplates.

[the_mouse_man]

One problem is the complete lack of will to do anything by the police,

last year a mates Isuzu was stolen (with keys) it had a tracker on,

it was found in Doncaster with 5 similar vehicles outside a gypsy camp, when my mate asked what will you do about the other 5 he was told, "nothing they are not coming up as stolen," they didnt even run the numberplates.

Tad unfair I think given the original post.

Any way the thread is about the 'modus operandi' of the scum that steal these vehicles not whether the police in a particular area respond or not when one is stolen.

[SiWhite]

Please lets not get into an anti-Police slanging match. That's been done to death many times before.

I'm trying to help stop a significant problem in our neck of the woods, so useful posts or PMs only please

[dollythelw]

I only have little guns but Si is definately Bronze

it was a little disconcerting seeing him walking about dressed in drag but apparently it was "undercover" work

yes Si, of course it was

go get 'em fella - good luck

[disco_al]

Fair play to you for asking for help on here - at least it shows some willing to try and catch the thieving scumbags.

There have been a few Defenders nicked from round here too lately, if i hear anything i will let you know.

[Guest diesel_jim]

I have a waterpistol, which is as close to a big gun as i can get, but Simon is a signed up boy in blue.

Si, there was a Td5 90 stolen in Purton yesterday (sunday 14th), Clickly link here on difflock with a couple of phone numbers, you may get some more info from them.

[Bull Bar Cowboy]

Simon W + another Simon (on here) are most definately wearers of black uniforms that carry a certain amount of authority ....... albeit from different constabularies.

Any info you can pass on will benefit all of us in the long run............

Well done Si for stepping up to the table ...............

Ian

[white90]

Good news that something is being done

Thanks to Simon and his colleagues

[tiagoc]

When 4x4s (any mark or model) are stolen here in Portugal, the most common destination is a ship container. It will then be taken to any African country, where they are sold. I don't know if this could also be the case, in the UK.

Of course, we also have cases of "joy rides" (mostly from teenagers), where they only stop when they trash the vehicle. Or it could be used to steal something else (like driving it into a store window).

[TJ101]

If a couple of forum 'big guns' could post just to confirm my line of work so folk might feel better about PM'ing a stranger with these sensative details, I'd be grateful.

I'll vouch for Si, well as much as anyone could do for a copper Nothing personal Si

He is who he says he is,, and surely any help given, must be worth trying !! so if you have been unfortunate to have suffered . please spend a few minuets, and let him have any details you feel may help !!

[Hybrid_From_Hell]

"Evening All",

<bend at the knee 2 3>

Some on this forum might know that I'm a Police Officer...

:rofl:

Thanks Si,

cheered me up from a horrible day,

all you missed here was the "Goodnight Everyone" (in a Dixon of Dock Green voice.)

Other than the P**s take - good on yer .....and go get em danno Si

Nige

[western]

I've meet Simon too & can vouch that he is a throughly decent person & anything we can do to stop Defenders wandering without their rightful owners must be a good idea.

I'm sure I would be devastated if my 110 went without me.

[LittleBlue88]

On the lookout here............no thieving b****r is gonna get away with any of our trucks!

[Les Henson]

I can comfirm that SiWhite is a serving Police Officer. Any information will be very helpful, and as he says - this is not a Police slanging thread.

Les.

[bobtail4x4]

I didnt intend to slag anyone,

I have seen a few mates cars go missing locally, and even when the police were shown a CCTV of the theft where the faces of the thiefs were clearly seen, all they wanted to do was give a crime number,

Im sure lots of police take this seriously I just dont seem to come across many.

I speak as I find,

btw nearly all were forced entry and break the steering lock, in a few cases the landrover was pushed a few yards away fron the house to lessen the noise, to be fair any semi literate teenager could steal a Landrover as the security as standard is laughable.

anyone admit to buying cheap spares? its one cause of the thefts.

I have a few friends who are in the force, they all complain that the amount of paperwork involved in even the smallest thing, perhaps as one said to me "after you catch them probably best not to ring us, but make sure the bodies are not traced back" could be a serious thing,

unless things improve I can see more people taking things into their own hands.

[plasticbadger]

Hi Si, very worrying

I travel by road to Europe quite often and I've noticed the rise in scrap car exports through Dover, looking like they're heading East towards Eastern Europe (by where I see them on the road and the trucks). The last time I went, last week, I must have seen 10 to 12 full transporters and while most cars were clearly write-offs, some were undamaged. No Denfenders that I saw, but a few Freelanders.

May be worth checking with Kent Police / HMRC what checks are made to ensure all cars are legitimate insurance write offs and exported properly as it would be easy to slip a stolen car on the transporter amoungst the damaged ones.

[ciderman]

On a simular line , We have had a fair bit of plant stolen over the past couple of years , Minidiggers , compressors and the like , One machine was recovered by The police some two months later , so it goes to show they are out there and they are looking .

Many people used to rumour that most of the plant went across to Ireland , but I cant see that with the green oval would head that way as they dont seem to popular over there , The export trade is very good at the moment for used vehicle spares so I would hazzard a guess thats where most of it would be going ,

And there seems to be ever vigulant forumeers who are good enough to report any dodgy looking stuff on ebay giving those who are not in the know the heads up .

Justice for Gippos ( they need locking up as well)

[Phill B]

The solution is simple.

several toyed up Defenders with top of the range trackers as bait and some manpower.

It's not rocket science.

Need money for the Landies? - ask the council for some of the speed camera millions.

[FridgeFreezer]

Surely you mean a couple of tarted up trucks and some explosives?

In all seriousness though, you do see a hell of a lot of almost-scrap being carted across the channel on trucks with eastern plates, at Harwich in the impound yard there were stacks of trucks piled with truck axles, rolling chassis, cabs etc. stacked several high on the back (to say they were precarious is putting it mildly, no wonder they were impounded!). You see a fair bit going across the border into Russia too, but I can't imagine it's economical to source that from the UK.

[SiWhite]

Slightly OT - anyone with any involvement in plant, whether owned, stolen or looking to buy, should register with The Equipment Register. Most Police Officers keep the phone number to hand, and when checking any plant found in sus circumstances we can run the serial numbers through TER and see straight away if they're stolen.

[Paul Humphreys]

Have a read of this item

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LAND-ROVER-GREEN_W0Q...1QQcmdZViewItem

You can see why more needs to be done.

Paul

[HoggyN]

Have a read of this item

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LAND-ROVER-GREEN_W0Q...1QQcmdZViewItem

You can see why more needs to be done.

Paul

What is all the fuss about? Ringing Registering that 90 would be no problem - just buy this

[Naks]

that is weird. Defenders are very rarely stolen in South Africa!?

[Porny]

Si,

You have a pm.

Ian