GPS tracking enables swift recovery of stolen van

A stolen van containing electrical items has been recovered with the help of GPS tracking technology.

The vehicle belonging to Edmundson Electrical in King's Lynn, in Norfolk, was taken overnight from the driver’s premises.

On discovering the white van missing, the driver reported the theft to police and went online to access the information stored on the ABAX Triplog system which was fitted to the vehicle.

Using this data the van could be traced and police located the vehicle abandoned 25 miles away in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire.

The vehicle had damage to internal wiring but valuable electrical stock was still inside the van.

David Grimes, centre manager for Edmundson Electrical, said: “The GPS tracking technology played an instrumental role in locating the stolen van.

“We rely on our vans to deliver stock to our customers so to have one stolen and out of operation is costly. We are thankful the information stored by the ABAX Triplog was able to be used to locate the vehicle the same morning."

Chris Miller, ABAX UK chief executive, said: "The primary purpose of the ABAX Triplog is to save businesses money on their fleet costs and to ensure they are in line with HMRC vehicle tax legislation, but there are so many other useful features that arise from GPS technology, this incident being a great example.

"The ABAX Triplog fits discretely in the vehicle and can be a theft recovery tool.

"We know how painful a nightmare it is for any van driver when their vehicle is stolen.

"It is not just the loss of the van and valuable equipment that is very costly, but also the loss of working hours, cancelled agreements and possibly future or current customers."

“As well as helping police officers to locate the stolen vehicle, the data held by the Triplog device can provide key information as to who actually took the vehicle.

"The trips recorded after the theft can lead the police to specific locations used by the thieves or even highlight areas driven through where CCTV can help identify the culprits.”

ABAX has three practices to help reduce vehicle theft and aid vehicle and equipment recovery. Install a GPS-based tracking device; park somewhere open and visible, and mark any tools and equipment stored in the vehicle.