Fourteen people were arrested during raids on a scrap metal recycler in Goole on Wednesday, 21 March, by British Transport Police (BTP). The authorities are continuing to tackle scrap metal dealers suspected of receiving stolen metal.
Operation Rifle involved officers from BTP’s major investigation team, the national dedicated cable squad, the Force’s High Tech Crime Unit and the Financial Investigation Team supported by North Yorkshire Police, Network Rail, BT and HMRC. Officers raided and issued search warrants on two premises, Wagstaff Recycling on Long Lane and a house in Templar Close in Goole.
Some 14 people were arrested as part of the operation, six members of staff including the yard owners and management were taken into custody at Selby Police Station and interviewed by detectives.
Details of arrested persons –
· Three men all from Castleford, aged 24 and aged 49 – bailed until 16 May, and a 50 year old – bailed until 17 May.
· A man aged 20 from Carlton in Goole – bailed until 16 May
· A man aged 50 and a woman aged 48, from Whitley near Goole – bailed until 17 May
Eight workers at the yard were also arrested and have been street bailed pending further enquiries. After the arrests a thorough search of both premises were made by officers. A cash sniffer dog was also used in the operation and over £62,000 in cash was seized. CCTV and computers, mobile phones and hard drives were seized as evidence.
Detective Inspector Paul Langley, part of BTP’s Major Investigation Team was heading the operation. He said: “This operation targeted a key scrap metal dealer who we suspect of handling stolen metal and profiting from proceeds of metal theft and money laundering,” said DI Langley.
“Scrap metal dealers have a responsibility to ensure the metal they buy is from legitimate sources and that they keep appropriate records. It is not acceptable to turn a blind eye to stolen metal. By helping criminals to turn stolen metal into cash, often quickly and easily, dealers are fuelling this crime which is blighting our infrastructure and disrupting the lives of ordinary people on a daily basis.
“Whilst longer term we are looking for a change to the legislation to make it harder for stolen metal to be sold, we will continue to work within the current legislation to target the business practices of those dealers who willfully flout the law for their own gain. Today’s operation sends a clear signal that we will not allow dealers to ignore the law.”
In a separate case, a man convicted of stealing more than £20,000 of railway cable has been jailed for almost four years. Christopher John Mansfield, aged 33, of Chaffinch Way, Duffryn, Newport, south Wales, was on Friday, March 23 sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to three counts of theft of cable.
The offences, which took place in the Maesglas and Duffryn areas of the city between 8 December 2010 and 6 January 2011, caused disruption to the rail network at a time when a major resignalling project was being undertaken on the main line between Cardiff and Bristol.
The court was told that on 8 December 2010, following reports of signalling failure at Park Junction, it was discovered that cuts had been made to the signalling cable and 30 metres had been stolen. A search of the area was carried out by British Transport Police (BTP) officers and a rucksack and tools discovered nearby. A saliva sample taken from a drinks bottle in the rucksack later produced a positive DNA match with Mansfield.
On 14 December 2010, Network Rail staff found two hacksaws near a hole in the boundary fence next to the Duffryn housing estate. A quantity of cabling had been ripped from the ground and it was later discovered that 165 metres of cable had been stolen.
BTP officers followed a set of tracks to a wooded area near Chaffinch Way where a bin liner and shopping trolley containing stripped cable sheathing was discovered. Officers searched the bin liner and found documentation referring to Mansfield.
Then, at 6.30am on 6 January 2011, Network Rail staff – who had been doing engineering work – reported that 100 metres of power cable had been stolen from the Maesglas area. A bag containing tools, tape, gloves and a drinks bottle was found at the scene. The bottle was sent off for forensic testing and subsequently confirmed the presence of Mansfield’s DNA. The theft on 6 January was committed when Mansfield was on police bail.
In interview, unemployed Mansfield claimed that the rucksack found at the scene of the first theft on 8 December 2010, and the documentation in his name at the scene of the second theft on 14 December 2010, had been stolen from his garden shed, and that he was being “stitched up” for the thefts.
He denied stealing any cable from the railway but admitted acquiring a roll of cable he claimed he found in a field near his home, which a friend stripped and sold for scrap. Mansfield said he was paid £18 for his involvement in this process. He could not explain how his DNA was found at the scenes of the crimes. Despite his denials in interview, Mansfield later entered guilty pleas to three counts of theft of cable when appearing at Newport Crown Court.
A further offence of theft of cable was also taken into consideration when Mansfield appeared for sentencing at Cardiff Crown Court on 23 March.
Sentencing Mansfield, Judge Niclas Parry said: “Theft of copper cable has reached epidemic proportions, and this is an extremely serious example of this offence.
“There were serious consequences for members of the public as a result of your actions.
“In the January theft, had the cable been operational and not just prepared to be fitted, the complete South Wales main line would have been knocked out.”
Mansfield was sentenced to a total of 45 months imprisonment – 27 months for the three offences committed in December 2010 and January 2011, and a further 18 months for an additional offence which formed part of a separate investigation.
Detective Constable Chris Bolton, part of the investigating team from BTP Cardiff, said after the case: “Mansfield’s actions not only caused massive delays and disruption to the rail infrastructure, but also resulted in the loss of hundreds of thousands of pounds in revenue and fines.
“Forensic evidence clearly tied Mansfield to the crime scenes and he was left with no option but to plead guilty.
“Crime which involves the theft or attempted theft of railway cable attracts strong penalties and I hope the sentence handed to Mansfield will act as a deterrent to others.
“There is a common assumption that cable theft is a victimless crime, with the only effects being felt by the railway industry – this is simply not the case.
“Theft of cable has a huge impact on the operational running of the railway and many thousands of passengers are inconvenienced by it every year. It really is an attack on the community.
“Stealing railway cable is also incredibly dangerous. Anyone who seeks to steal railway cable risks serious injury – or even death – through electrocution.
“As part of BTP’s ongoing crackdown to tackle metal and cable theft along the railway, we are utilising a whole range of tactics across the region.
“We will continue to carry out high profile patrols at known areas of cable theft activity across the area and work closely with scrap metal dealers and the British Metals Recycling Association.”
Mark Langman, route managing director at Network Rail Wales, said: “Cable theft is costing the rail industry almost £20 million a year, which is money we would otherwise spend on improving and maintaining our railway.
“It’s a huge issue and one which all affected industries are committed to tackling – but we can’t do it alone. We need to see tougher sentences for cable thieves in the courts and the police must be given the powers they need to shut down the rogue scrap dealers who are profiting from the travelling public’s misery.
“We’re working across the rail industry and with others, including BT and other utilities companies, to try and get changes to the laws governing scrap metal dealers and to make sure the courts hand down tougher penalties for convicted cable thieves.”
