To catch a thief..
PostNord has revealed that it recently caught a criminal gang in western Sweden red handed – while they were attempting to steal goods traveling at 80 kilometres per hour.
Over the summer, PostNord became aware of recurring thefts from trucks on a specific stretch of highway between Vara and Alingsås.
After studying the crimes, Alexis Larsson, Head of Security and Complaints at PostNord, and his team distinguished a pattern – and they passed on the information to the local police.
“It is extremely unusual to catch a gang involved in this form of advanced crime – breaking open locks and getting into a truck at high speed,” said Larsson. “But thanks to the close cooperation with the police in Alingsås, we succeeded. Our highest priority is to deliver the goods to our customers safely, so we constantly try to stay one step ahead of the criminals. This successful intervention confirms that we do our absolute utmost in this regard.”
The criminal gang was captured one night in mid-September. A pair of hidden surveillance cameras had been installed in the trailer of a PostNord truck that was considered to be at risk. The most valuable goods had been moved elsewhere. The PostNord security team was nearby, watching the surveillance film in real-time on a tablet while in telephone contact with the driver. Unmarked police cars were also nearby.
“Suddenly I saw on the film how the back doors of the truck were opened and two men jumped in, from the hood of a car traveling right behind the truck at high speed and with no lights on,” said Larsson. “They looked through the cargo without finding what they were looking for, and were then about to leave the vehicle. That was when I told the driver to brake.”
The braking meant that the men could not leave the truck because their own car had to brake and drop back. When the truck finally stopped and the men opened the back doors, they were met by a large police unit.
The men who were arrested will soon be prosecuted.
The film of the incident can be viewed here:
http://www.postnord.se/en/information/about-postnord/postnord-caught-criminal-gang-red-handed
In a statement about the incident, PostNord included these bulletpoints about its security policy:
How PostNord protects goods:
• Drivers do not handle cash.
• Drivers are equipped with personal alarms.
• Strong locks, which engage automatically, are installed in the vehicles.
• All mobile phones, tablet and modems with IMEI numbers that are stolen are locked and become totally useless if they disappear. This measure is the result of cooperation with all the mobile phone service providers.
• Load carriers, trailers and box vans are equipped with GPS systems that not only sound the alarm if doors are opened by unauthorized personnel but also monitor the vehicles’ routes and journey paths.
• All personnel undergo basic security training when they join the company, and drivers are also given advanced security training.
• SmartDNA markings are used on the distribution vehicles. This proactive security measure has more than halved the number of thefts and was one of the finalists at the Retail Awards 2017, in the Safety Improvement of the Year category.
