A major police operation dedicated to combating rural crime, including fuel theft, has notched up its latest success on the roads.
Members of the Newark and Sherwood Operation Reacher team swiftly arrested a man after stopping a van on the A1 northbound slip road at Blyth at around 9.40pm yesterday (Tuesday 1 November 2022).
A large amount of empty fuel cannisters were found in the back of the van. Other items seized from the vehicle included a large quantity of cash, gloves and mobile phones.
A 27-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of conspiring to steal fuel and going equipped for theft.
It’s the latest example of the effectiveness of Operation Magna – a proactive ongoing crime-fighting initiative launched in 2019 in response to a number of fuel thefts from along the A1 corridor. These incidents are often also associated with damage to nearby land as suspects trespass on the land.
Earlier in the evening officers stopped another car involved in suspicious behaviour near to lorries parked in a layby in Carlton-on-Trent. No offences were identified but the occupants were given appropriate advice by officers.
District Commander for Bassetlaw, Inspector Hayley Crawford, said: “We have seen an increase in fuel thefts on the A1 corridor and through Operation Magna we are continuing to show that we are working relentlessly to combat the issue and catch those involved in this sort of criminality.
“Hopefully our ongoing enforcement activity will act as a deterrent to others who aim to profit from other people’s misery and sends a clear message that we will be ready for them. We will catch them and they will be robustly dealt with.
“We recognise the significant impact that fuel theft and other types of rural crime can have on businesses, landowners and communities and that’s why we treat these kind of reports so seriously.
“With fuel prices rising, tackling this type of rural crime has become even more important, so we will continue to work tirelessly as a force to detect and prevent incidents of fuel theft from happening across Nottinghamshire and ensure criminals attempting to cash in from rural crime are brought to justice.”
Anyone with information or intelligence about fuel thefts in Nottinghamshire is urged to call Nottinghamshire Police on 101.
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