Stolen drill find leads to seizure of 1,000 items
A search for a power tool, fitted with a tracking device, has led to the discovery of more than 1,000 suspected stolen items from across the country, police have said.
Kent Police said the combined value of the items - including power tools, a quad bike and six caravans - could be more than £500,000.
Seven arrests were made in Cranbrook, Kent, when rural task force officers, assisted by Thames Valley Police, executed a warrant on 26 April.
Sgt Ross Haybourne said officers hoped to reunite as many of the items as possible with their owners.
The force said the drill theft victim had attached trackers to their tools following repeated thefts, which led police to "one of the largest hauls of suspected stolen items".
The recovered quad bike was suspected to have been stolen from Ashford.
A large quantity of power tools and six caravans were believed to have been stolen from locations including Bristol, Wales, Southampton, Staffordshire and Sussex.
Five local men, aged between 18 and 44, were arrested alongside a 19-year-old woman and 17-year-old boy on suspicion of multiple offences relating to theft.
Kent Police said they have all been released on bail, pending further investigations.
Sgt Haybourne said officers were cataloguing the suspected stolen items and that a comprehensive list would be released to the public.
He said proof of ownership or purchase would be needed to claim any of the items.
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