The British Road Haulage Association (RHA) warns against thieves using gas to put drivers to sleep. In the United Kingdom, this type of crime is becoming more and more frequent.
The use of sleeping or nerve gas has been a method popular among thieves to dispose of drivers in cabs of lorries. Very often, personal property of truckers falls prey to criminals. Recently, trucks have been robbed in the UK in the same way. The local transport organization, RHA is deeply concerned about the increase of this type of theft and warns drivers.
The association recalls one of the latest incidents in the West Midlands. The driver, after waking up, noticed that someone had slashed the curtain on one side of the lorry and stole a cargo valued at thousands of euros.
Recently, many thefts of this type have also occurred in the county of South Yorkshire.
The terrifying experience of a Polish trucker
One of the Polish drivers can tell from experience how the criminals work. He himself fell victim to thieves who used nerve gas.
– In the evening I was in the cabin, I was already lying. They injected gas through the seal, but not just any gas. It didn’t make me sleepy, it was a nerve gas – says trucker.
I was fully aware of what was going on. I saw and heard everything, but I could not move, even to lift my finger. I saw the thief enter the cabin, bend over me, wave his hand and start to roam the cabin. He stole a few of my things, cigarettes. He robbed me and left” – continues the trucker.
The man admitted that he had never been so scared in his life. He was aware that the attacker could do literally everything with him.
– I will remember his face for the rest of my life – he adds.
Possible safeguards
RHA calls drivers to be vigilant and make every effort to secure the vehicle, especially when they have to take rest in isolated places.
It is worth equipping yourself with a specialized chloroform vapor sensor. Digital microprocessor sleeping gas detection devices are available on the market. These devices indicate optically and acoustically if the threshold of gas concentration was exceeded and are characterized by low power consumption. The cost of such a sensor is about 50 euros.
Photo: Pixabay.com/Republica