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Minister hails online kit sale fight
24 April 2012Veterans Minister Andrew Robathan has hailed the success of an on-going MoD Police crackdown on the unauthorised sale of military kit online.
Operation Embroil, which tracks and prosecutes the sale of stolen kit, primarily on auction website eBay, has secured 70 arrests, with 15 individuals prosecuted, 17 cautioned and more facing service disciplinary procedures since it began in 2008, Robathan told Parliament.
In one high-profile case in 2010, an army Quartermaster was ordered to pay back £6,600 after selling 168 army rucksacks and 64 pairs of boots stolen from RAF St Athan.
Other stolen items which have been listed for sale online include various items of clothing and uniforms, body armour, sleeping bags, tents, ration packs and medals.
While the arrest figures only cover the first two years of the operation, some 374 'intelligence packets' relating to possible sale of stolen kit have been received to date.
A Ministry of Defence Police spokesman said the operation had recovered property or disrupted the theft of equipment valued at almost £1.4m
"Detectives continually monitor sites, and where officers believe items are being sold illegally they will investigate and the sellers will be visited. If evidence of theft exists then the MDP will seek to prosecute," the spokesman said.
"…Our armed forces fighting on the front line deserve the best possible kit, and the MoD and MDP take a zero-tolerance approach to any theft, fraud or deception which deprives them of that."
HAVE YOUR SAY
24 April 2012
I wonder if this operation will be able to continue after MoD Police is drastically reduced in size to save costs? Can't see local police being able to cope with the extra workload in addition to providing security to MoD bases!
AW Employee - Yeovil
24 April 2012
What about the kit, they don't take off you when you leave the forces, even when you try and hand it in?
I've got loads of kit in my attic, thousands of pounds worth which the Army did not want back and that I have no use for, some of the kit I have purchased myself, Mess Dress and Warrant Officers bits and pieces, however there is still a fair bit of kit sat there doing nothing and my missus wants me to sell it on e-bay, not a chance now . . .
Rob - Telford
25 April 2012
Rob, if you genuinely dont want any of the kit you have stored, why not take it to your local Army Cadet Force Detachment, as a registered charity, the ACF is self supporting for kit, and any extra from any legitimate source is always more than welcome, also it might give you a new hobby if you like what you see and fancy being back ingreens again, just a thought.
Chris - Leeds
30 October 2012
not a lot of people seem to understand that kit issued by the govt remains Govt property. The amount of MTP on ebay within a few months of it's issue was a surprise - and reported to MDP. Why Rob's kit wasn't accepted back is an Army issue (sorry).
Muddler - UK