The number of cargo thefts from vans and lorries has soared in the first three months of this year, according to new police figures quoted in the AD.

Between January and March, 136 thefts and attempted thefts were reported to the police, a rise of 46% on a year ago. The police have now opened a special hotline where drivers can report crimes because transport companies don’t always take action, the paper said.

Transport sector lobby group TLN estimates thieves get away with some €350m-worth of goods a year. ‘Companies too often think the police will do nothing about it,’ TLN chairman Arthur van Dijk told the paper. ‘But reports are essential to tackle this growing problem.’

Distribution centres and overnight truck stops along the A73 and A67 are particular hot spots at the moment, the AD said.

The police say foreign gangs are now increasingly targeting Dutch lorries. ‘It used to be Dutch crooks, often people from Brabant,’ police spokesman Ed Kraszewski told the paper. ”Now we have evidence that foreigners are involved. They move around from country to country and that makes it extra difficult to stop them.’