West Midlands Metals Thefts
Operation Indicate is once again warning operators and hauliers of high value metals in the West Midlands to be on their guard after a spate of thefts and robberies over the last week.
On 25/07/2006 at 5:30 am in Smethwick, a sleeping driver was approached by three men posing as workers of a nearby unit. They demanded his keys and when he refused, he was threatened with a knife. He managed to run off and call police and his lorry was later found to have had the ignition wiring tampered with in an attempt to steal it. The offenders made off in a silver Subaru Impreza bearing false registration number J4SBP
At about 7:15 am the same day, a Polish lorry driver arriving at a depot in Bloxwich was approached by two men posing as security guards. They tricked him into getting out of his cab before assaulting him and stealing his vehicle which contained £80,000 of copper bars. Also at the scene and believed to have been involved was a silver Subaru Impreza registration number J4SBP.
Also the same day, at 2:05 pm in Dudley, a lorry driver was threatened with an iron bar and his lorry carrying £10,000 of stainless steel and copper was stolen.
On 27/07/2006, an overnight burglary at a company in Halesowen netted thieves over £150,000 of copper and nickel contained in 18-20 green containers. Thieves cut through a perimeter fence and a rear breeze block wall before stealing the property which was taken away in the company’s own vehicles left on site.
On 28/07/2006 at 10:40 am a lorry driver arriving at a depot in Oldbury left his lorry unattended with the keys in the ignition while he went to sort out the paperwork. It was stolen, together with the £30,000 load of brass coils.
Anyone with information about these crimes or the vehicle involved are urged to contact TruckPol or Crimestoppers in confidence
i used to deliver to milver metals at coventry and would always park in the their yard… well i used to leave the trailer there and park the unit elsewhere. just to be safe.