Devon and Cornwall Police has appealed for information following a incident where a telehandler was stolen from a nearby farm and was used in the burglary of two cashpoint machines at a co-op store in Plympton.
Police officers were notified about the cashpoint raid at the Co-op store on Glen Road earlier this month.
A John Deere telehandler, which was left at the scene, was used to ram the shop’s wall, allowing for two cashpoint machines containing large sums of cash to be stolen at approximately 1:45am on Monday, February 2.
Officers stated that at least four people were involved in the break-in and they reportedly arrived at the scene in three different vehicles, all of which are believed to have been stolen from nearby properties.
Additionally, the telehandler alongside the trailer and truck, which were used to transport the stolen cashpoints, were stolen nearby from the Smithaleigh area, according to the police.
Farm theft
Detective Constable Andrew Trott-Rodgers said: “What we know is that the telehandler, the truck and trailer in the footage are from the Smithaleigh area of Plympton, near and around Piggeries Farm.
“We believe the telehandler was taken from there between 5:30pm on Sunday, February 1 and 1:30am on Monday, February 2.”
DetectiveTrott-Rodgers outlined that the Nissan Navara was stolen between 12:20am and 12:30am in the early hours of Monday.
Following the robbery, all vehicles apart from the telehandler were found burnt out in a forest nearby Sparkwell by officers between 1:40am and 4:am.
Investigation
Police believe this cashpoint raid was carried out by “a highly sophisticated and organised criminal gang”, with investigations pointing towards them being involved with other similar thefts across England.
“Following extensive enquiries we now believe that this incident could be connected to several other ram-raid burglaries which have happened in the last four months across the country.
“We are continuing to work closely with other forces where those incidents have occurred,” the detective noted.
During police investigation, officers trawled through CCTV footage, however they were unable to identify the thieves due to the four culprits being dressed in dark clothing with their hoods up and faces covered.
Officers suspect that the gang stuck to known back roads to avoid detection and it is believed that members were in the area prior to the incident to conduct reconnaissance on the store.
Appeals
In a social media post, Devon and Cornwall police have appealed for witnesses who may have seen anything suspicious in the early hours of Monday, February 2 around Downfield Drive, Glen Road and Language in Plympton, or Smithaleigh.
The post stated: “We are asking residents who live in these areas, who we have not already spoken to, for doorbell camera footage or anyone with dashcam footage to get in touch by calling 101 or by reporting online quoting 50260027042.”
Additionally, police are searching for anyone who runs a bed and breakfast house and had a booking from four men over the weekend of Saturday, January 31 and Sunday, February 1, as it is thought that the gang would have also likely stayed in the area prior to the incident.
