CRAFTY criminals have allegedly been targeting haulage trucks parked at service stations in Dumfries and Galloway, police have revealed.
In one night, 18 different large company vehicles transporting goods were reportedly hit by thieves.
Police are still trying to trace the crooks and admitted that this tactic of targeting trucks parked at service stations, including at Johnstonebridge and Gretna, has been on the rise.
The issue was raised at Dumfries and Galloway Council’s police, fire, and rescue sub-committee on Monday where a report was tabled on crimes committed in the 11 months between April 1, 2023 and February 29 this year.
Dee and Glenkens Councillor Andy McFarlane asked police officers attending the meeting: “The report of theft of motor vehicle acquisitive crimes increased by seven percent. I did read further on in the report that it was a mixture of theft of and from.
“Is vehicle theft a big issue, or is it just theft from vehicles?”
Police Superintendent Jim McMillan responded: “What we’ve actually seen is quite a significant increase in the number of thefts and attempt thefts from wagons, which are parked at car parks or service stations.
“This has actually contributed to this number of vehicle crimes.
“We’ve got people who are obviously travelling up the motorway and using that as their network of travel – both for business and for the criminal aspect as well where they’re going to the wagons and looking into the canopies at the back.
“We did see an occasion where, over the course of a night, about 18 of these vehicles were damaged and broken into.”
Superintendent McMillan explained that police have taken a proactive response to combat the thefts with crime prevention talks, posting warnings on social media, and also by speaking to local and national haulage companies about the problem.
He continued: “Without going into the investigations, because some of them are sub-judice but also confidential at this moment in time, we find that the investigation opportunities to find a conclusion to report to the procurator fiscal is very, very challenging.
“This is because of the types of vehicles and the conduct to evade detections.”
