Cambs rural crime team makes 26 arrests in £700,000 theft crackdown

Police have recovered nearly £700,000 worth of stolen vehicles, machinery and other property in just six months, with 26 arrests made in a rural crime crackdown across Cambridgeshire.

Cambridgeshire Police's Rural Crime Action Team (RCAT) recovered 48 stolen assets worth more than £699,000 between April and September 2026.

Among the recoveries were 13 pick-up vehicles valued at almost £217,000 and five items of plant machinery worth £206,000, highlighting the significant sums involved in rural theft.

Officers also recovered 11 stolen cars worth more than £120,000 and three caravans valued at over £46,000.

Alongside the recoveries, the specialist team carried out 12 vehicle pursuits, dealt with 107 driving offences and seized 39 uninsured vehicles.

Officers also identified 12 drug possession offences and arrested two people on suspicion of drink-driving during the six-month period.

The team operates throughout the year, tackling offences affecting rural communities, including agricultural machinery theft, vehicle crime, drug offending and hare coursing.

Sergeant Tom Nuttall, who leads RCAT, said: “Many people know RCAT as the force's hare coursing team, but that is only one aspect of what we do.”

He explained that officers also provide specialist support across the county, helping pursue dangerous offenders, locate missing people and respond to major incidents.

Beyond tackling crime, the team supported Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service during major woodland fires over the summer.

Using drones equipped with thermal imaging technology, officers helped firefighters identify hotspots, monitor fire behaviour and access real-time aerial intelligence while tackling the blazes.

The results come as organised rural crime faces parliamentary scrutiny, with MPs examining machinery theft, criminal gangs and the challenges facing police forces across the countryside.

The Home Affairs Committee questioned farming representatives, criminologists and senior policing figures on Tuesday (13 October), amid concerns over the scale of organised criminal activity targeting farms.

The hearing followed a Home Office acknowledgement that it could not provide a single, nationally verified assessment of the extent to which organised criminal groups are responsible for offences affecting farms.

According to NFU Mutual's 2026 Rural Crime Report, rural crime cost an estimated £41.5 million in 2025, despite overall losses falling by 6%.

However, quad bike and all-terrain vehicle theft costs rose by 31% to £3.5m, while agricultural vehicle theft claims increased by 18% to £8.3m.

Sgt Nuttall said: “These results highlight the breadth of work undertaken by the team and our continued commitment to protecting rural communities, disrupting organised criminality and supporting the wider policing response across the county.”