Stolen Tracked Loader Found in Back of Transit Van

Thanks to the installation of a state-of-the-art plant tracking device from AMI Group, a 1 Ton Tracked Loader stolen from a site in Wokingham, Berkshire, has been successfully recovered 50 miles away after being transported and concealed in the back of a transit van.

AMI Group were notified by the asset owner, a plant hire company, that the Tracked Loader had been stolen and using the AMI Nexis web-based software platform, AMI Group were quickly able to locate the machine in the Croydon area. The machine was fitted with the AT5, a self-contained, wireless, battery operated tracking device which is just 54 x 65 x 37mm in size. The AT5 has a battery life of up to 20 years and it utilises highly sensitive assisted GPS positioning accurate to within 1 metre with pinpoint street level mapping.

The AT5 indicated that the Tracked Loader was located in a compound surrounded by farmland and the Police were notified of the location. The Police surveyed the compound but were unable to locate the stolen machine. AMI finders and AMI’s customer arrived on site and upon arrival, RF (Radio Frequency) technology was activated to help pinpoint the unit. Within minutes, the team had picked up the AT5’s RF beacon and a positive signal was coming from a transit van parked up in the compound. It transpired that the Tracked Loader was located in the rear of the van. The Police were notified and the stolen machine was successfully returned to the plant hire company.

Peter Stockton, Operations Director at AMI Group said: “Despite the stolen machine being concealed in the back of a transit van, we were still able to recover the machine within hours of it being reported as stolen. The AT5 uses three different technologies, so we are able to find equipment using a variety of methods even in they are well hidden away. The tracking device has no external wires, antennas or connections to trace, so in many cases, plant thieves don’t realise the equipment is tracked and probably believe they have got away the theft.”

The AT5 utilises state-of-the-art GPS (Global Positioning System), GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) and RF (Radio Frequency) technology and it has helped AMI customers across the length and breadth of the UK track down and recover stolen equipment. It provides a ‘fit and forget’ solution and can be transferred from machine to machine with ease within minutes. Once the AT5 is fitted, AMI customers can log on to the AMI Nexis web-based portal to establish the exact destination of assets.