We were informed of an overnight theft of various power-tools from Kent including disc cutters, whacker plates and a pressure washer. We remotely searched for the items and gained a signal local to the theft site a few miles away. The thieves had obviously hidden the stolen items in plain sight and we dispatched a nearby Investigator from our Investigations Unit to locate and secure the items.
The search area included a scrap-metal yard, split up into several units. As this is private property and we didn’t want to spook the thieves, we requested assistance from Kent Police. Kent Rural Police assisted at the exact time a white Ford Transit van exited the premises. As we entered the yard, our technology indicated that the stolen items were no longer nearby and the items were indicated to be moving.
It was concluded that the items were in the back of the Ford Transit so, at a safe distance, our Investigations Unit assisted the Police in following the van. After a short while, the van was located and secured on a residential road. A local resident’s CCTV footage identified the thief abandoning the vehicle where an arrest was made. A Police dog was used to find the key (jettisoned by the thief near the van) and the stolen items were duly found in the back of the suspected vehicle.
The delighted customer was informed of the successful operation and arranged recovery of the items.
As well as the recovery of the stolen items, the public has one less criminal (and crime-facilitating van) to worry about. As a bonus, the Police also have extra intelligence as to how criminals operate in their county.
Without CanTrack Protect, it’s unlikely that the tools could have been recovered. Small (hand-held) machinery can be hidden from plain sight easily. The difficulty in finding item such as these makes a police investigation unlikely. CanTrack will always investigate all thefts and our in-house Investigations Unit are experienced in tracking all stolen items as well as bringing the local Police in at the right time to assist with access and arrests.
