Riding the truck crimewave
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LGV drivers are more at risk of hijacking than ever before, according to figures from crime intelligence unit TruckPol. Louise Cole reports.
THE NUMBER OF truck hijackings grew by more than 50% last year, from 84 to 129, says TruckPol's Detective Constable Andy Round.This worrying trend represents huge losses to the road transport industry, with £24m worth of vehicles and loads to the value of £81.25m taken.
In all, freight crime cost at least £105.2m in 2006; with 3,423 freight crimes reported, the average loss was worth £31,000. Even these figures do not express the whole problem — Round says there are still problems with consistency of reporting across the country.
Household goods, car parts and building materials including metals are all high on the thieves' wish lists, and many of the thefts are not opportunistic."Some come from inside information,Round warns. "These people know what they are after and where it is."