Farmers fearful as criminal gangs drive machinery black market | ITV News

The British countryside is being exploited by criminal gangs, bolstering a black market demand for farming machinery, according to the National Rural Crime Network.

Exports from the UK to Eastern Europe are becoming increasingly common.

Three months after Ukraine was invaded, £4 million worth of machinery was stolen by Russian soldiers - linked not just to military tactics, but to Western sanctions too.

[sundayboss]

The government should allow the farmers to bear arms.

[joe-vlnd]

The UK needs to bring back the Dealth Penalty 👎🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[sundayboss]

Border control police should do a better job if not let a private company do it. As all the stolen farm equipment end up EU.

[Piden-lb]

The way farming is going in the UK soon the farmers won’t need the equipment

[Dungshoveleux]

The stealing has nothing to do with the Ukraine. Why not tell us who is stealing the machinery? It can't be Russian soldiers stealing Welsh farm machinery can it?

[davidoldboy]

We have the technology to build in transponders and identification during manufacture, I believe caravans do already, if they have to literally ruin the machine to steal it then it is worthless. However this should be a nationwide service (tracking) free to farmers (and others) funded and run by the government. It also proves that the checks on vehicles exiting our borders are poor, not surprising but needs to be looked at. A great solution to cover the large areas affected are aerial patrols day and night, expensive but not impossible.

[Leon-ltgv]

I see rishi sunak running of ' leaving the scene ' just like tenants in london ' farmers are being priced out ' so rishi can get his mafia to buy on the cheap & sell " sell ' sell 😗

[j.a.]

They should start producing machinery in UK . Tesla tractors 🚜

[laws]

The hunger games have begun!!!! Tipping point mile marker was passed long LONG ago!! Fear mongering and insurance scams as far as the eye can see 😂