Theft - Operation Dene

Operation Dene was an operation concerning theft from an industrial unit.  Anonymous information had been received to the client that members of the nightshift within a manufacturing organisation were stealing product out of the rear doors during the nightshift. 

A meeting was held out of working hours with the client in order to view and conduct a reconnaissance of the area.  From that meeting it was decided the most cost effective and operationally feasible approach was to dig two of our military officers into vegetation and undergrowth which was off the company site, but afforded a view of the back door and rear yard. 

• For five consecutive nights officers observed from the undergrowth continual thefts of product from the organisation
• It was noted that several unauthorised vehicles arrived each night and product was loaded by several staff members into the rear of these vehicles
• All of the evidence was video recorded with specialist night camera equipment identifying registration numbers of all vehicles and facially identifying all known offenders and participants

At the termination of the operation a conference was held with the local police and the evidence was handed to them for arrest of offenders.  As a result of the information:

• Five people were arrested
• Several thousand pounds worth of property was recovered
• Five people were convicted in criminal court for theft

Prior to this operation, an impact assessment had been conducted by Expert Investigations and the client and it was decided that the operation should progress as it would prove cost effective in protecting the profits of the company and showing a strong duty of care to the good workforce by eliminating the corrupt members of the employment teams.