CAMBS: Police make two arrests and seize vehicles as part of metal theft action day
POLICE in Cambridgeshire have today arrested two people and seized four vehicles as part of a Europe-wide day of action to tackle metal theft.The crackdown was part of Operation Saruman and follows a similar day of action held in the county in January.C
POLICE in Cambridgeshire have today arrested two people and seized four vehicles as part of a Europe-wide day of action to tackle metal theft.
The crackdown was part of Operation Saruman and follows a similar day of action held in the county in January.
Checks were also carried out on roads leading to scrap metal dealers using ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) technology.
They led to the arrest of two people - in Peterborough and Snailwell, near Newmarket - and the seizure of four vehicles.
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In January, six people were arrested at addresses across the county in a day of action.
Detective Inspector Andy Gipp, who leads Saruman, said: "Today's action demonstrates how widespread this type of crime has become and how seriously we continue to treat it in Cambridgeshire.
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"We are carrying out extra patrols and working hard to gather intelligence and evidence, but we cannot tackle this problem effectively without help from the public and I would urge residents to be extra vigilant and report any suspicious activity, particularly around buildings, electricity substations and manhole covers."
This week, detectives working on Operation Saruman also launched a new initiative designed to help scrap metal dealers identify stolen material.
An email or fax will be sent to dealers every morning detailing metal that has been reported as stolen in the preceding 24 hours.
This will allow dealers to identify suspicious material and inform police, who will be then be able to return more metal to its rightful owner, arrest suspects and disrupt the activities of thieves.
Anyone with information about metal theft should contact police on 0845 456 456 4, or if a crime is believed to be in progress, call 999.
