Gang who stole farm vehicles jailed for 25 years

£200k of equipment taken during three-month spree

- By OWEN HUGHES Chief Reporter

AN organised crime gang who carried out a high-value theft spree across rural Gwynedd and Shropshire have been jailed for a combined total of more than 25 years.

At Shrewsbury Crown Court on Monday, four men were sentenced for their roles in the three-month conspiracy in North Wales, with another three for similar crimes over the border.

‘At a separate hearing at Mold Crown Court on September 20, 2024, four men were also sentenced for handling stolen goods.

Members of the organised crime group travelled in and out of Tywyn, Dolgellau and Bala, staying at local caravan and camping sites to plan and carry out thefts of high-value agricultural machinery and property.

Other members would travel to North Wales to collect the stolen items stashed in rural areas, before handing them over to others to sell.

In total, 17 offences were carried out across Gwynedd over a three-month period from August 2022.

‘The total value of items stolen, including commercial woodchippers, quad bikes, trailers, Land Rovers, chainsaws, and other high-value gardening equipment, amounted to more than £200,000. Only a small proportion of the property was recovered.

‘The offences in Gwynedd were part of a wider conspiracy that saw many other incidents committed by the same gang in areas covered by West Mercia Police.

It is estimated the organised crime group are responsible for thefts worth between £5million and £10million of agricultural equipment during their crime spree.

‘The group was eventually thwarted by the North Wales Police Serious and Organised Crime Unit as part of Operation Calafat in March 2023 following the offences committed in Gwynedd.

In July that year, following an increase in rural burglaries across Shropshire, detectives from West Mercia Police's Shropshire’s Serious Acquisitive Crime Team started to investigate the thefts in their area.