Man due to appear in court for allegedly handling stolen goods in East Dorset
A man is due to appear in court in connection with reportedly handling stolen goods following an investigation by Dorset Police’s Rural Crime Team.
Two warrants were executed at rural locations in the East Dorset area on Tuesday 14 June 2022 by officers from Dorset Police and Hampshire Constabulary as part of Operation Hardware. During the warrants, suspected stolen machinery, cash and other property was recovered with an approximate value of around £500,000.
Operation Hardware was an intelligence led operation, created following a report of a suspicious incident in Hampshire that identified a vehicle as stolen from London, leading to warrants being carried out at addresses linked to the insured driver.
Following an extensive and detailed investigation, a 23-year-old man from East Dorset has been issued with a postal requisition to appear at Weymouth Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 2 October 2024 for sixteen counts of handling stolen goods.
An 84-year-old man from East Dorset who was also previously arrested in connection with the investigation has been released without charge and will face no further police action.
