Stolen tools worth £50k recovered from car boot sale
Essex Police teamed up with the Met and Trading Standards
Around £50,000-worth of stolen tools have been recovered during an operation at a car boot sale in East London.
Officers from Essex Police ) worked as part of a Metropolitan Police-led operation with Trading Standards to carry out a large search of the Willow Farm Car Boot Sale.
With the help of a dog that can sniff out items marked with forensic water, officers identified and seized around 1,000 suspected stolen tools.
Four men, aged between 40 and 60, from Hackney and Southend-on-Sea were arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods.
A number of suspected stolen bikes, as well as cash, illegal vapes and other counterfeit goods were also seized.
Inspector Daniel Selby of Grays Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “Trading stolen or counterfeit goods is illegal and inexcusable, so we are working with our partners to disrupt supply lines and arrest those who are profiting from crime.
“Hard-working tradespeople rely on their tools to make a living and we appreciate how devastating the implications of a theft can be for victims and their families at a time when many people are struggling financially.
“Purchasing illegitimate goods only serves to line the pockets of the criminals, creates a market that inevitably leads to more offending, and can land the buyer in serious trouble.”
Officers will work over the coming weeks to identify the tools and trace their original owners.
Any tradespeople or those in possession of power tools are advised to mark their property, take photographs, and record serial numbers so that, in the event of theft, officers have more chance of returning property.
Marking tools with SelectaDNA forensic water also helps officers identify stolen goods.