Five men and a woman have been arrested in a series of raids at homes in West and South Leeds this morning as part of an investigation into the organised theft of cargo from heavy goods vehicles nationally.
The operation, led by officers from the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit, saw warrants executed at six addresses in the Belle Isle and Kirkstall areas.
The six, aged 27 to 56, have been arrested on suspicion of theft from motor vehicle in relation to the theft of a large consignment of stock from the rear of a heavy goods vehicle.
They remain in custody and enquiries are ongoing. Officers have seized a quantity of suspected stolen goods during this morning’s warrants, along with controlled drugs and a variety of weapons, including a stun gun, which is prohibited under firearms legislation.
The investigation is being led by Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit’s (YHROCU) Regional Intelligence Unit as part of an increased focus on organised acquisitive crime across the region.
Detective Superintendent Al Burns said: “We’ve recently increased the staffing of our Regional Intelligence Unit to develop a more front foot approach, which has given the team an increased capability to speedily turn live intelligence into timely proactive operations targeting a range of criminality.
“A key focus of that heightened proactivity is organised acquisitive crime, and today’s operation is the latest instalment in what will be a series of similar operations over the coming weeks and months.
“Organised theft from heavy goods vehicles is a significant issue nationally, with an average of nine offences per day amounting to a total cost of £65 million last year. The wider impact includes the trauma caused to drivers who confront the thieves, as well as damage to vehicles, replacement transport, missed deliveries, insurance costs, and disruption to supply chains, with customers often facing higher prices as a result.”