Police truck used against lorry crimes
Criminal truckers are being warned they could be caught out by an unmarked police HGV lorry, which will be taking to the region's motorways.
Officers from the Central Motorway Police Group will be using a heavy goods lorry, kitted out with specialist crime-fighting equipment, to help in the fight against HGV-related offences.
They will monitor both suspected criminals on the hunt for lorry loads of contraband as well as those drivers falling foul of traffic laws.
The Group which has 150 specialist officers will visit lorry parks, arterial routes, lay-bys, service stations and will patrol the 450 miles of motorway covered by Central Motorway Police Group.
The lorry is kitted out with automated number plate recognition equipment, covert cameras and recording equipment.
Over the past three months the Central Motorway Police Group has seized £1.4 million of stolen assets and recovered nearly £500,000 worth of drugs on the region's motorways in various operation
The force which has used the lorry for the past two years expect this latest operation to last for several weeks and the vehicle may be seen on any of the Midlands motorways.
Chief Superintendent Martin Evans, Head of Central Motorway Police Group, said: "We are talking about offences as serious as robbery and assault where truc-kers fall victim – to those offences that are seen as more minor such as driving whilst on a mobile phone but can still have a devastating impact."
He added: "Our police lorry is completely unmar-ked and therefore the element of 'the unknown' will definitely play a part for drivers and robbers in the area."
