Show britain fights hijacking of food scotland yard Is kept busy hunting receivers of hot foodstuffs LONDON scotland yard reports increasing activity by organized gangs of food hijackers and bootleggers leg gers and moved swiftly to hunt out receivers and distributors dealing in hot ot foodstuffs detectives said the hijackers apparently patently ly were well organized in many instances stolen food trucks were found empty and abandoned within an hour after being seized in tactics reminiscent of the al capone days in chicago latest theft reported was that of florry a lorry laden with cases of eggs valued at 1400 the empty lorry was found shortly after it was reported missing scotland yards ace sleuths reported that the hijackers shadowed their quarry to learn the movements J and habits of the driver As soon as the truck was left unattended for a moment the hijackers raced away with it they rushed the stolen goods to a hideaway where the cargo was transferred to another truck or to a secret depot or sometimes directly to the food fences cut for hijackers detectives said that the hijackers took a cut of 50 per cent of the value of the hot food hijacked beans biscuits and bacon they said usually were distributed by fences among hole in the corner shops and small cafes whose owners were willing to run the risk of dealing in illicit goods 1 I one suspected restaurant detectives said offered a menu of steaks j chops lamb bacon oxtail and eggs 0 while neighboring cafes could find no legal supplies of such popular delicacies one truck carrying worth of groceries was snatched from a locked garage A van loaded with 1400 pounds of vegetables was whisked away while the driver was making a call three such robberies were reported within a single i week soldier imprisoned even the army has been victim zed lance corporal harold osul a livan was imprisoned recently for stealing pounds of sugar from Is the army supply depot at aldershot aldershof Alder shot it was estimated that worth of cigarettes and tobacco had been stolen in recent months at one place in the london area thieves masquerading as ARP workers used axes and crowbars to enter premises other large hauls were made at night indicating that fingerman fin germen spot deliveries in advance of hijacking at liverpool during the trial of four dock workers the prosecution charged that since the start of the war men had been arrested in one police division for stealing from docks the thieves broke open cases removed the contents refilled them with rubbish and nailed them up again there has been looting of bomb damaged premises but scotland yard said that was largely the work of individuals rather than gangs sir gerald dodson recorder of old bailey said that looting appeared to be on the decrease |