Friday 13 certainly proved a nightmare for one truck driver who was bundled into a van by VOSA impersonators involved in hijacking his trailer and a £300,000 copper load.
The HGV driver was transporting the copper load to several automotive firms in South Wales and stopped in a lay-by off the A40 in Ross-on-Wye at approximately 5.10pm. He was approached by two men from a white Transit van which stopped in the area behind him which is used as a VOSA inspection site.
A replica of red trailer stolen by thieves.
Without warning, the two men bundled the driver into the van and drove off. He was driven to a remote spot near Hambridge in Worcestershire and left at the side of the road. He was found unharmed by police just after 7.30pm.
Witnesses are being sought by West Mercia Police, and anyone with any information is asked to contact Crimestoppers on 0800555111.
This sounds like a truly traumatic ordeal, and prompts concerns over whether it is safe to stop your truck for anyone. This is not the first time bogus VOSA officers have come to light. In March a driver from Birmingham-based JM Transport was pulled over in Preston, by thieves posing as VOSA inspectors. He was threatened with a Taser gun.
However its disgusting to see how some can take advantage of such serious cases to benefit their own greed. I refer to 47-year old trucker Brian Fogg who was last week jailed for five and a half years for faking a £1m hijack. He claimed that four people impersonating VOSA officers had threatened him at knifepoint on the M53 in Cheshire.
The Freight Transport Association (FTA) warns:
"Truck crime is getting worse and the criminals are getting craftier and more violent. We have even heard stories of crooks injecting sleep inducing gas through the night heaters of parked up trucks so they can render drivers helpless while they break in to their cabs."
This is a very real and concerning issue, thieves are willing to use violence and nasty tactics to get what they want. Have you heard of any extreme freight crime incidents? Or do you have any advice you could offer vulnerable driver?
Why on Earth did the driver stop in a layby for gods sake when he was carrying such a stealable cargo!! And also why wasnt the trailer fitted with a tracking device? This story only underlines the lack of professionalism in our inducstry, no wonder thieves prosper!
It's quite tragic that the haulier does not track and monitor their vehicles. If anything had happened to the driver, how will they fair in a corporate manslaughter investigation? It's even more disturbing that thieves are becoming more sophisticated and impersonating Vosa.
I personally would be reluctant to stop for anyone when carrying highly valued freight, and would risk a police car or three chasing me down the motorway!
Sarah Arrow
Loads of these values should have trackers and police should be notified. VOSA should also be told of the lorries that are taking valuable cargo. If drivers knew that VOSA wont be pulling them, then this nightmare wouldn't have happened. This definately is the first of its kind and wont be the last!
I would have thought that the company would have a tracker on a trailer carrying something this valuable?
My advice for people carrying high value loads would be to call into the office immediately to inform them of the location and description of vehicle and persons.
DO NOT stop in isolated areas, if requested to stop find somewhere busy, ideally the nearest police station, but obviously we dont know where every police station is.
Before opening te door ask to see ID and if possible get it verified.
If having to stop for a break TRY to time it so that it is secure and well lit area.
Like one of the above posters I would risk having a convoy of police behind me if i was unsure, but i think by that point it would be apparent they are genuine.
Keep safe out there everyone.
The Police are not concerned about cargo crime - the Met police are to be disband Operation Grafton the only police initiative that has targeted cargo crime. We need more secure parking areas, and drivers need the appropriate training!
Sent to me via email from a man named Barry Schofield:
Hi Joanna,
Thank goodness high jacking is in the minority. That was in my opinion a planned attack using insider knowlege. I have been for 3 years now designing a container alarm for the more opportunistic thefts when vehicles are stationary. This has now been launched and is being used by Allport, and has the backing from NYK and their insurers.
Sent to me via email from Paul J J Burton:
Investigate the driver,change route and vehicle number.........as it could be an inside job check telephone calls to who and when? hgv 1 driver neded for hoist! how much planning was that? put security on to vehicles randomly( guards) as they will be back check scrap yards someones receiving.............
If operators use security roof markings police aircraft can be used to trace stolen trucks/trailers. Some say that helicopters would not attend an incident and with the lack of roof markings this is quite true as the chance of detection would be low, with markings detection is high justifying the use of aircraft releasing ground units to widen the search area faster as motorway services, industrial sites and truck stops etc. can be quickly covered from above.
Reading about this incident and the comments about trailers needing to have trackers fitted. I was hijacked last December (08) in the West Midlands. The unit and trailer were taken, I was bundled into the boot of a car and dropped in the middle of a housing estate in my underwear at 0400 on a winter morning, not good.
However, the hijackers had split the outfit, believing the unit to be tracked, but the trailer was fitted. My employer was telling West Midlands CID the location of the trailer from 0900 until after 1030, but no one was sent. Not enough resource. A police friend of mine could not believe this, as a solution of a kidnapping and hijacking would have been mega kudos all round.