UK wind farm operators warned of emerging criminal threat

Historically, this form of theft has been rare in the UK. However, that situation has changed over the past month. There have been nine reported offences since 14 April, potentially suggesting that an organised criminal group is specifically targeting the industry.

The targeted locations span several counties, including Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Derbyshire, Essex, Humberside, Northamptonshire, North Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. In one instance, three turbines within a single wind farm complex were broken into, further underscoring the scale and potential co-ordination involved these operations.

Once offenders have gained entry, the turbine door is forcibly opened and the electricity supply then isolated to eliminate the risk of electrocution. The copper cabling is then cut and removed.

Notably, the offenders appear undeterred by the fact that the turbines are active at the time of entry, indicating a high level of confidence and familiarity with the infrastructure.

Richard Crisp, intelligence analyst at DeterTech, commented: “With such a surge of cable theft incidents in the UK, we are urging wind farm management companies to inspect their turbines for any signs of tampering or theft. Any incidents need to be reported immediately to the local police service.”

Crisp added: “Additionally, we encourage wind farm operators to review recent surveillance footage for any suspicious activity, particularly so around entrance gates, and to remain vigilant to any unfamiliar vehicles or individuals present near their sites.”

In the first instance all thefts, suspicious vehicles and episodes of suspected hostile reconnaissance need to be reported to the police. This then allows the National Infrastructure Crime Reduction Partnership and UK policing agencies to build a comprehensive picture of the threat and determine to co-ordinate an effective response.

National intelligence portal

DeterTech operates a national intelligence portal for the police and critical infrastructure companies, tracking organised crime across the UK. The company’s information sharing agreement with the National Police Chiefs’ Council allows the business’ team of crime intelligence analysts to access police data from all forces in England and Wales.

The company emboldens this information with client, insurance and other open-source crime data to provide intelligence back to the police and industry on how and where serious organised crime is happening and how it can be disrupted.

DeterTech also works with the police on special operations aimed at identifying offenders to facilitate their arrest and subsequent conviction.

*Further information is available online at www.detertech.com