A man has been arrested and charged following the theft of property worth nearly £23,000 from a lorry at a service station near Gillingham, Kent, in the early hours of Friday, April 11.
The incident occurred on the M2 motorway, where a security guard noticed suspicious activity near several parked vehicles and immediately alerted police.
Lorry Targeted While Driver Slept
When officers arrived at the scene, they found that a lorry had allegedly been targeted while the driver was asleep in the cab. Patrol units were swiftly deployed along the London-bound carriageway, launching a search for the suspect vehicle.
Later that day, a truck was stopped in Cadogan Terrace, Stratford, East London, where police arrested a suspect and recovered boxes of shoes valued at almost £23,000.
Suspect Charged
Michael Tremarco, 35, of St Agnes Drive, Canvey Island, Essex, was charged with:
He appeared at Medway Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, April 12, where he was remanded in custody. Tremarco is due to appear at Maidstone Crown Court on Friday, May 9.
Ongoing Investigation
Police have not ruled out further arrests as investigations continue. Authorities have praised the vigilance of the security guard, whose quick action led to the recovery of the stolen goods and the suspect’s arrest.
This case is the latest in a series of thefts targeting parked lorries on UK motorways, prompting calls for increased overnight security at service stations.
Anyone with additional information related to the incident is urged to contact Kent Police via 101, quoting reference number M2/GILL/11APR.
