Tractor thieves strike twice in a short time in Koggenland: is there a gang active?

The theft was discovered this morning at Smal Bloembollen BV in Grosthuizen, while they were still busy planting the flower bulbs yesterday. “We clear the road with this small tractor. A trick, I didn’t expect that thieves would see any benefit in this. Because we finished late last night and one of the lamps was broken, we left the tractor on the plot. He was in a parking lot, a stone’s throw from a number of homes.”

Nevertheless, the next morning he was called by his uncle to ask if the tractor had already been collected. “No, no, I said”, Narrow looks back. “At first I thought he was joking or some bad boys had moved it. But when we went to have a look, it was gone.”

On camera images from his neighbour, a dairy farmer, it can be seen that the tractor drives past around 3 a.m., but not with Smal in it. The damage amounts to about 17,000 euros. “Although it is a small tractor, it is still a lot of money. It remains annoying, but luckily we are not delayed.”

Across the border

Growing company Ursem-Zuurbier from Heerhugowaard, which grows iceberg lettuce, red cabbage and pointed cabbage, has also been badly affected by the theft of a good-new tractor. On Wednesday 19 October they are still busy harvesting white cabbage on a plot along Vredemakersweg near Avenhorn. “We leave the tractors behind after working hours. You cannot move them when you are harvesting, that is impossible. They are locked, but if someone understands the technology, it is a piece of cake cents.”

Still, it could have been worse. “There were a total of nine tractors. Anyway, one is too many. A tractor costs us about 150,000 euros, that doesn’t make you happy. We just had it new.”

Zuurbier suspects that his tractor has been put on a low loader and has been taken away. “We didn’t see any tarnish marks on the road. I’m afraid it’s already crossed the border to Eastern Europe, or something.” Smal also thinks that a gang is active that steals on order.

The Noord-Holland Noord police let NH Nieuws/WEEFF know that they do not recognize themselves in the image that a gang is active in West Friesland. The police also do not want to confirm the suggestion that the wanted agricultural vehicles have been put on a low loader to Eastern Europe.