The Ford Transit was the most stolen van recovered in 2021, according to new data analysis from stolen vehicle recovery (SVR) specialist, Tracker Network UK.
The ever-popular Transit accounted for 64 per cent of all Tracker van recoveries, followed by the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Peugeot Boxer and Vauxhall Combo.
With keyless car entry systems becoming increasingly commonplace, it is no surprise that 89 per cent of vans stolen and recovered by Tracker in 2021 were stolen without the thief having possession of the keys.
Clive Wain, head of police liaison for Tracker said: “One of our most notable stolen LCV recoveries last year saw thieves use a company’s £30,000 transit van to load up thousands of pounds worth of IT and plant equipment that was onsite worth over £200,000.
“If Essex police hadn’t been able to re-trace the van’s journey using its Tracker device, then it’s highly likely the stolen equipment would have never been found.”
Tracker is the only SVR provider offering vehicle tracking systems that are supported nationwide by UK police forces.
Its detection units are fitted in over 2000 police patrol vehicles and throughout the national fleet of Police helicopters that comprise the National Police Air Service (NPAS).
Wain added: “There are security barriers that can be used to deter thieves, such as CCTV, traditional steering wheel locks and wheel clamps.
“If the vehicle has a keyless entry system, when it’s not in use, place the van’s key fob into a signal blocking pouch which is lined with layers of metallic material.
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“This will stop a key’s signal from being intercepted by would-be thieves. In the event of a van being stolen, an SVR solution will significantly increase the chances of it being quickly recovered and returned before it’s sold on, stripped for parts or shipped abroad.”
Working like an electronic homing device, Tracker’s ground-breaking SVR technology uses a covert transmitter, hidden in one of several dozen places around the vehicle.
There is no visible aerial, so the thief won’t know it’s there.
The combination of VHF with GPS/GSM technology, unique to Tracker, makes its units resistant to GPS/GSM jamming, confirming Tracker as a superior security defence against determined thieves.
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