Police chief fears Ukraine war link to GPS thefts

Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner Dan Price has called for forensic marking and immobilisation technology on farming equipment

A rise in the theft of GPS units from a county's farm vehicles by Eastern European organised crime gangs could be linked to the war in Ukraine, a police and crime commissioner has claimed.

Farm equipment theft in the UK has risen since 2022, which was also when Russia invaded Ukraine, Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner Dan Price said.

Farmer Andy Shaw told the BBC when his farm was targeted thieves ignored expensive tools but took a GPS unit from one of his tractors.

Cheshire Police said there was no direct evidence that the units were being used by Russian forces, but it was "possible".

Andy Shaw said thieves had ignored expensive tools and targeted GPS units at his Cheshire farm

Six MPs in Cheshire have now signed an open letter from Mr Price calling on the government and manufacturers to improve security on essential farm equipment.

Insurance claims for GPS units in particular increased by 137% in 2023.

The units, valued at up to £20,000, are used to guide tractors and combine harvesters to improve accuracy in planting, adding pesticides and fertilizer.

A statement from Mr Price's office said organised criminals had been known to target several farms in a single night and then plan later raids to steal replacement GPS units.

While police have no direct evidence of the units being used by the Russian military, Mr Price told BBC North West Tonight the rise in thefts since the war was a "deeply worrying coincidence".

"My fear is that these units are leaving the country and they are helping the Russian invasion, that is my deep concern and I know others are worried about this," he said.

Mr Price called for immobilisation technology and forensic marking on new GPS equipment.

Supt Andy Huddleston, head of the National Rural Crime Unit, said: "In relation to theft of GPS guidance units there is evidence this is being done by eastern European organised crime units, but there is no direct evidence to show that they're being used in military application."

Sgt Rob Simpson said police in Cheshire were "on the right path" to tackling the organised criminals responsible

Arable and potato farmer Mr Shaw, from Aston Grange Farm in Runcorn, said the thefts had a financial impact beyond the loss of the GPS unit.

"It was a really busy part of the season when we should've been out spraying," he said.

"Everything got delayed and that has another financial knock-on effect."

Mr Shaw, whose farm has been burgled three times in 10 years, said a valuable battery powered angle grinder had been in plain view of the thieves during the latest incident, but was ignored.

"You just knew they weren't after any old thing, it was just the GPS they wanted," he said.

Insurance firm NFU Mutual said the cost of rural crime across the UK rose to £52.8m in 2023 - up from £50.6m the previous year.

Cheshire Police recently made three arrests in connection with GPS thefts but described tackling the gangs as a complex problem.

Sgt Rob Simpson told the BBC: "We've been learning how to understand the crime, who is carrying out the crime - I'm not saying we've got it perfect but we are on the right path now to how we can combat this."

The intervention from the police and crime commissioner and MPs calls on the government to strengthen the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Bill to include GPS devices.

The Home Office said in a statement it was introducing "tougher measures" to tackle rural crime including strengthened neighbourhood policing and "stronger laws" to prevent farm theft and fly tippers.

It said: "New laws will also aim to prevent the theft and re-sale of high-value equipment, particularly for use in an agricultural setting."