Tracker helps police quickly locate and recover three valuable motorhomes stolen from a secure forecourt in East Sussex
When five locked and immobilised motorhomes were stolen within 20 minutes from a secured forecourt in East Sussex overnight, Stephen Mouland, owner of the dealership, alerted the police but did not expect to be reunited with any of the vehicles so quickly.
Three of the motorhomes had tracking devices fitted from stolen vehicle recovery (SVR) expert, Tracker Network (UK) Ltd and within hours of Stephen reporting the theft, the vehicles had been located in three separate South London locations. They were parked and had false plates fitted, so the police were able to quickly recover them. The three Swift motorhomes, a Kon-tiki, Bolero and Bessacarr, are worth £180,000.
Thieves broke into the Peacehaven forecourt and office of Stewart Mouland Motorcaravans on the night of 23rd April 2022, cutting through padlocks, overriding immobilisers and removing all five vehicles from the forecourt in just ten minutes.
“The thieves were in and out within minutes, knowing exactly what they were doing and fully prepared to get past all our physical security barriers,” commented Stephen Mouland. “They were obviously experts and I believe that without the Tracker devices installed the motorhomes would never have been returned.
“I would urge other retailers to check if the used vehicles on their forecourts have Trackers installed, and to get all stock protected as soon as possible. I am now also looking into getting devices installed at point of sale so my customers can benefit from the same protection as my business does.”
Clive Wain, Head of Police Liaison at Tracker, added “The cost of caravans and motorhomes is increasing alongside the growing popularity of staycations and camping and caravanning holidays abroad. The lack of supply of vehicles and part is further increasing value and demand. At Tracker we are seeing the impact this has on the number of thefts and the lengths criminals will go to in order to steal these highly desirable, high-value vehicles.
“As Stephen experienced, thieves are not always put off by physical barriers, so a Tracker device is an essential tool in protecting vehicles on the forecourt or on a customer’s driveway, increasing the likelihood that a stolen vehicle can be returned to its owner or the retailer. Retailers and dealers have an important role to play in educating their customers and helping them to protect their vehicles, and ultimately their holidays. Recovery of these three motorhomes was a significant operation covering a wide area, in which Tracker worked closely with Sussex Police, The Metropolitan Police Service and the National Police Air Service., and we are assisting the police in their ongoing investigation.”
Tracker is the only SVR provider that works with the UK’s police forces to assist in recovering stolen vehicles. Its detection units are fitted in over 2,000 police patrol vehicles and throughout the national fleet of Police helicopters that comprise the National Police Air Service. It is also the only vehicle tracking company that uses the combination of VHF with GPS/GSM technology.
Working like an electronic homing device, a covert transmitter is hidden in one of several dozen places around the vehicle. There is no visible aerial, so the thief won’t know it’s there. Furthermore, its unique combination of VHF with GPS/GSM technology makes its units resistant to GPS/GSM jamming and enables the police to pinpoint a stolen vehicle if it is hidden in a container or lock-up. This makes it particularly valuable for detecting stolen vehicles hidden in containers at major UK seaports.
The Tracker Mesh Network has also been instrumental in locating stolen vehicles. When a vehicle fitted with a Tracker unit passes any Tracker equipped vehicle that has been reported stolen, the unique Mesh Network listens and automatically sends a silent signal to Tracker’s Head Quarters and the police, providing the location of the stolen asset.
