Agricultural GPS thefts are increasing

In Lot-et-Garonne, as in all of France, thefts of agricultural GPS are increasing. Their price can reach several tens of thousands of euros, the damage is therefore considerable for farmers. The gendarmerie calls for vigilance.
"For us, it happened in the middle of the night on August 8th. We didn't hear anything. They climbed over a fence and entered the shed. They cut the wires. I bought it less than four years ago." Arnaud Andrieux has a farm in Seyches near Marmande. And he, in turn, has just been the victim of an agricultural GPS theft.
This year, thefts of these guidance tools, identifiable because of their antenna on the tractor, have increased in Lot-et-Garonne. The department's gendarmes have recorded three periods: January, April and August. In total, twenty-five devices were stolen in 2023, including, exceptionally, twelve from a specialist store. The other equipment was stolen from farms. This is three more than the previous year. The estimated damage is 300,000 euros.
Very sophisticated devices
It must be said that these devices are very valuable to growers. They allow them to optimize vehicle driving, to sow straight seeds, to manage the quantity of seeds, to spray pesticides or to calculate yields. So inevitably, these technological gems arouse the covetousness of burglars. Their market value can reach 30,000 euros.
High technology at very expensive prices
Without these devices (the console and the antenna), it is impossible for many farmers to work in optimal conditions today. GPS consoles have become essential in tractors, harvesters, forage harvesters, or even presses for making hay bales. We are far from the simple device that only allows you to find your way on country roads." It is very useful. It saves time, money and it is less tiring for us." explains Arnaud Andrieux.
The police are dealing with highly organized criminals. They act in "raids" over a week. "It is most often a traveling team, often temporarily housed in rental accommodation, such as Airbnb. Burglars do reconnaissance and then act very quickly before leaving the territory," explains Lieutenant Colonel Roméo of the Lot-et-Garonne gendarmerie group.
Arnaud Andrieux is not surprised by the interest of the criminals. "In France, it's really expensive. It's often stolen to be resold in Eastern countries or over there, they may not have the means to buy new."
Organized crime
In the country, 402 cases of this type were recorded by the gendarmerie in 2022. Teams such as the research sections or the services of the Central Office for the Fight against Delinquency (OCLDI) are mobilized full time to process these procedures and attempt to find the consoles and GPS antennas and dismantle the networks.
"Equipment valued at 10,000 euros, resold at a low price on the darknet (hidden side of the Internet) is interesting for the farmer," explains Lieutenant-Colonel Roméo. The soldier does not rule out possible channels destined for Eastern countries either. "In some European countries with high agricultural density, some can use this type of network to acquire stolen GPS. Romania, Moldova, Albania come to mind."
"On the GPS that cost me 10,000 euros, they only gave me 4,800 euros"
Arnaud Andrieux, farmer
Significant damage
These thefts are a hard blow for the agricultural world. They represent an economic loss, because insurance companies apply the obsolescence. 'I am fighting with my insurance!' confides Arnaud Andrieux. " She's imposing 50% of the obsolescence on me. So, I won't even be compensated for half. On the GPS that cost me 10,000 euros, they're barely giving me 4,800 euros!" The farmer doesn't know if he'll be able to invest in new equipment. Used equipment is rare. "We can't find any! And when we do, they're the same price as new ones."
To avoid these thefts, the gendarmerie advises farmers to park vehicles in secure, closed places and even to remove equipment from vehicles after use. For the moment, no one has been arrested for the thefts committed in Lot-et-Garonne.
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