Six people have been arrested and more than £300,000 worth of suspected stolen machinery seized during a major police operation targeting organised rural crime.
Officers executed six warrants at farms and commercial premises across Herefordshire and Gloucestershire on Wednesday, 19 August, as part of Operation Alchemy.
Four men and two women were arrested during the operation.
Police recovered a significant quantity of suspected stolen equipment, including excavators, dumper trucks, tractors, vehicles and other plant machinery.
Among the items seized was a dumper truck which had reportedly been stolen from Cardiff earlier the same day.
Raids across five locations
The arrests and searches were carried out at locations in Ledbury, Pendock, Staunton, Redmarley and Stroud.
One man, aged in his 30s, remained in police custody on suspicion of money laundering, handling stolen goods and theft.
Other suspects arrested during the operation have either been released on bail or released under investigation while enquiries continue.
The large-scale operation brought together officers and specialists from West Mercia Police, Gloucestershire Police, the National Construction & Agriculture Theft Team and British Transport Police, alongside several other partner agencies.
Organised rural crime targeted
Operation Alchemy is aimed at disrupting organised criminals suspected of targeting rural communities and stealing high-value agricultural and construction machinery.
Inspector Billy Keys, from the Rural Crime team, said the operation had focused on organised criminals operating within rural areas.
He said the enforcement action would help police disrupt suspected criminal gangs, recover stolen property and develop intelligence for future investigations.
Enquiries into the seized machinery and the wider suspected criminal network remain ongoing.
