Rural crime might seem a world away from the scenic harmony of Fife and Tayside’s rolling hills and coastal fringes.
Yet, beneath the surface of these picturesque landscapes, a troubling undercurrent of criminal activity challenges the peace.
Livestock theft, machinery burglary, and illegal dumping mar the rustic beauty, while isolated farms and quaint villages face the relentless threat of property damage and wildlife crime.
Today, farmers have a high-tech arsenal at their disposal, with GPS (Global Positioning System) devices playing a starring role in modern tractors. Gone are the days when farmers relied solely on gut instincts and weather predictions.
These gadgets are like the brains of the operation. They guide tractors with pinpoint accuracy to make sure every seed, drop of fertiliser, and inch of irrigation is just right. It’s farming, but smarter.
But there’s a catch. Just as these GPS systems have become essential to farming, they’ve also caught the eye of thieves.
Farmers urged to be vigilant following recent spate of GPS thefts
In recent months, farmers across the UK have been warned to be vigilant after a new wave of GPS thefts.
GPS systems have become one of the most targeted pieces of farm equipment because of their high value and portability.
NFU Mutual’s latest figures reveal the UK cost of GPS theft increased by 15% to £1.8 million in 2022.
Intelligence also suggests many farmers previously targeted in the last two years are being repeat victims.
Fife farm estate manager Sam Parsons frustrated at recent tractor GPS thefts
One man with first-hand experience of GPS theft is Sam Parsons, 50, estate manager at the 2000 hectare Balcaskie Estate in the East Neuk of Fife.
During his 16 years at Balcaskie, Mr Parsons says they have been “pretty lucky”.
However, last September they were targeted with two GPS systems worth a total of £40,000 taken from two locked tractors. Working under cover of darkness, and not detected by CCTV, the brazen thieves cut out the tractor screens to gain access and took the screens with them when they left.
On the same night, two other nearby farms were also targeted with six £20,000 GPS systems, valued in total at £120,000, taken between the three farms.
“We are pretty lucky on the whole – we have avoided a lot of crime that I know other people have had,” said Mr Parsons. “I’m not going to complain and say it’s been terrible.
“But we’ve seen a shift that has gone from low impact whether that’s wildlife crime or opportunistic theft – the low value stuff – to the latest theft of two expensive GPS systems on tractors.
“It was so well organised and so quick that it was definitely not opportunistic.
“The people knew what they were doing. But the worrying thing was they knew where the equipment was.
“We had multiple equipment, but they knew where the ones they wanted were, in what shed.
“I don’t believe they were necessarily watching. But it would be hard for them to know what is what.
“They knew what they wanted and for whatever reason they knew where it was.”
GPS thefts have led to upgrading of CCTV and security on East Neuk of Fife estate
Despite investigations, Mr Parsons said the perpetrators had not been detected and the equipment had not been recovered.
The lack of equipment recovery did not surprise him because it’s likely the systems were quickly broken down into their component parts and used for other things. This negates any security detection measures, he says.
Balcaskie has since upgraded CCTV to include higher resolution motion detector night cameras and have invested in a workshop alarm system.
But while advice from the Scottish Partnership Against Rural Crime urges farmers to “remain vigilant” and to remove GPS systems from machines at night, Mr Parsons says this isn’t always practical.
He has no hard evidence, but he thinks the people trained to do this – probably linked to international organised crime – are selling the GPS guidance system components on for use in the Russia-Ukraine war.
“Where there’s a shortage for component parts for guidance systems, that’s what’ll happen,” he said.
“And if Russia is embargoed and not able to buy them, well, if you can’t buy it you’ll find it!”
Fife farmer grabbed a pitch fork and confronted quad bike thief
Meanwhile, another North East Fife farmer has told The Courier how he confronted a quad bike thief gang member with a pitch fork.
The farmer, who asked not to be identified, explained how two springs ago, he was out in his farm shed dealing with some newly born calves around 10.30pm when he stuck his head up – and came across a snood-wearing man brazenly walking through the shed.
Picking up a pitch fork, they had a “heated discussion” on the road, and the would-be thief ran off. There was a car parked beyond the steading with a trailer.
It emerged that the gang, who had northern English accents, had been there earlier.
They’d managed to get the farmer’s quad bike out of his shed and looked to be on the verge of stealing it.
It also emerged there had been various crimes around various local farms that night.
“We were quite lucky in a way but at the same time it was not a very pleasant thing to happen,” said the farmer, who already had security but stepped up measures after the incident.
“The amazing thing they knew where all our stuff was. They’d obviously been watching us for some time.
“It’s incredible how often this happens on farms round and about. Apparently the police know exactly who the groups are, but can never pin it down. “
Rural crime in Scotland down – but no room for complacency
Rural crime cost Scotland £1.4m in 2022 – a fall of 48% from 2021, according to NFU Mutual’s most recent 2023 Rural Crime Report.
The welcome decrease came after Scotland was hard hit by thieves targeting quad bikes in 2021.
Rural crime costs rocketed 52.3% to £2.6m that year compared to £1.7m in 2020.
Joint cross-border operations and strong recovery rates of stolen agricultural machinery, helped by increased forensic marking, have played a key part in driving down Scotland’s rural crime impact. Police say this shows how collaboration and new security measures can help fortify farmyards and homes.
However, the situation in Scotland goes against the UK trend, which saw the 2022 rural crime costs across the UK rise 22% to an estimated £49.5m.
Criminal gangs have responded to soaring values and low supply of farm machinery worldwide by establishing illicit global markets for such devices and technology equipment.
As a result, the UK cost of agricultural vehicle theft reported to NFU Mutual soared by 29% to £11.7m in 2022.
Role of organised crime gangs as farm equipment stolen ‘to order’
Martin Malone, NFU Mutual manager for Scotland said highly organised gangs are causing disruption to farming and widespread concern to people who live and work in the countryside – as previously featured in The Courier.
Rural theft is also changing. It is not only opportunist thieves travelling a few miles. They are now seeing internationally organised criminal activity. These gangs target high-value farm machinery and GPS kits because they can be sold all over the world.
“Many items are stolen ‘to order’ by thieves using online technology to identify where farm machinery is stored and scope out the best way to steal it,” he said.
“They will also spend hours watching the movement of farming families to work out the best time to attack.”
Constable Lynn Black from Police Scotland’s rural, acquisitive and business preventions team told The Courier that police cannot and will not become complacent in efforts to further reduce the number of rural offences occurring throughout the country.
She said: “Both the personal and financial impact of being a victim of crime can be devastating, particularly if farming equipment, fuel or livestock is targeted.
“We know the theft of agricultural and plant equipment remains a concern for farm owners and workers. We are committed to identifying those responsible and bringing them to justice.
“We continue to work with partners to tackle rural crime and provide advice on how to safeguard properties, vehicles and equipment.”
What GPS security advice is given to Fife and Tayside farmers?
NFU Mutual advises farmers to follow their GPS security guide.
