Dagenham cable theft gang smashed by new BT initiative
A gang of thieves who stole BT communications cable that was marked with a forensic liquid have been sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court. The three men are the first thieves to have stolen BT cable and subsequently be convicted as a direct result of forensic evidence provided by SmartWater, which was rolled out across the communications network in 2010.
A gang of thieves who stole BT communications cable that was marked with a forensic liquid have been sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court. The three men are the first thieves to have stolen BT cable and subsequently be convicted as a direct result of forensic evidence provided by SmartWater, which was rolled out across the communications network in 2010.
Kristopher Huckle received an 18 months prison sentence, while his two accomplices were given 12 months imprisonment suspended for two years. They were also ordered to carry out 120 hours of community service and placed under a strict curfew for four months. In the past, metal theft has been viewed by criminals as low-risk. However, the severity of this sentencing which took into account the massive disruption to local communities and business, which lost access to telephone and broadband services for several hours, cutting people off from emergency services represents a major shift in the way metal thieves are dealt with in court.
The gang stole a large quantity of copper wiring from privately-owned ground in the Dagenham area in July 2010. Despite being caught by police officers close by to where the theft occurred, the men stated that they had been employed to legitimately remove the cable by an unknown person. However, this particular cable had been treated with SmartWater, a forensically-coded liquid that is virtually impossible to remove and can only be seen under UV light, so anything marked with it can be traced back to a particular location.
The SmartWater evidence was the only prosecution evidence presented in court, with all three men choosing to plead guilty to a charge of theft.
The theft of metal remains an international problem with unprecedented demand from the Far East pushing up worldwide prices of metals such as copper and lead to an all-time high. Scrap metal dealers fuel the crime by not conducting the proper checks and records required by law.
The communications and utilities networks are working to tackle the problem. Regular checks at scrap metals dealers and recycling centres now take place across the UK involving police, the Network Integrity Unit within BTs Openreach division and SmartWater investigators.
Head of Security for Openreach, Bernie Auguste, said: We are increasingly using new methods to fight back against criminals who target our network and cause inconvenience and disruption to customers. SmartWater is a valuable technology which allows us to do just that. This is the first case where SmartWater evidence has allowed us to prove precisely where cable was stolen from, leaving the thieves with no deniability.
SmartWater Chief Executive Phil Cleary, said: We will continue to work closely with BT, the police and their partners, as well as the scrap metal and recycling sectors to tackle metal and cable theft. SmartWater has developed a long-term strategy to combat this type of crime and will see the deployment of an array of sophisticated products and crime-prevention measures to ensure we keep criminals on the back foot.
Metal theft is estimated to be costing the UK economy in excess of £700 million a year.
SmartWater has been responsible for over 1,000 criminal convictions, mostly from
undercover, police-led operations, and has a 100 per cent conviction rate in court.
SmartWater Technology Limited PO Box 136, Telford, TF3 3WY
Tel: +44 (0) 800 521 669 Fax: +44 (0) 870 242 4561
Website: www.smartwater.com
