WATCH: Anti-bike theft gang intercept lorry full of bikes bound for EU
Unfortunately, the sting didn't go to plan...
BIKER BIKER, a group of vigilantes targeting bike theft across the UK, filmed the moment they intercepted a lorry full of second-hand bikes bound for Europe.
The team yesterday shared a three minute video of the incident on their Facebook page, showing the interaction between police and the lorry drivers from where they watched in their van.
The team can be heard discussing the situations over the radio. “Confirm one arrest, one arrest, one’s in handcuffs,” a man in the van says. “Oh brilliant, have you seen bikes?” comes the response, with the van occupant replying in the negative.
According to the video, the Biker Biker team had been monitoring an arctic lorry and a silver van over a three month period, watching the two meet up every third Sunday of the month to move bikes from the van into the lorry.
In the sting, they followed the two to a dead end before calling the police, who questioned the lorry’s occupants about its mismatched number plates and cargo of motorcycles.
The lorry driver produced a selection of new documents and keys for the bikes, some of which were registered in 2013.
However, despite both Biker Biker and the police suspecting the motorcycles to have been stolen, they did not have enough evidence to detain the drivers, and were forced to let the truck and lorry continue on their way without further charge.
In the video’s caption, the Biker Biker team express their frustration:
“The police did some checks on the roadside and decided to let the lorry and the van go as there was ‘no victim’ or that's what they told us.
“We do feel strongly that this was the very end of what happens to ringed bikes that have their identities swapped over and then taken across the channel. We will still be very much involved in this operation as we are getting closer to following the paper trail backwards.
“At least they know that we are watching them now and we are not afraid to stop artic lorries if we think there are stolen bikes in them.. Lets hope for better luck next time…”
While many commenters congratulated Biker Biker on their efforts, others expressed outrage that the police could not do anything.
Steve Evans commented: "Well unless I missed something, the cops seem to be rather half-hearted. No check for smart water or datatag water marking? V5 does not prove ownership, how about some receipts?
"Seems very very suspicious, and that should be enough for the cops to arrest them on suspicion of motor vehicle theft, which they could hold them on for 24 hours at least, giving them time to let the forensic boys have a very close look at the bikes."
