Operation UTAH is an ambitious multi agency intelligence led operation which was seen as the launch pad for the ACPO Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (AVCIS).

This was an ANPR operation which was conducted for five discontinuous days in November and December 2006 at the Dartford River Crossing.

There were three Police Forces involved, namely Kent, Essex and the MPS. Additionally there were representatives from VOSA, HM Revenue and Customs, HM Immigration Service, Environmental Health officers, Trading Standards, DVLA and the Department for Works and Pensions.

This operation alone netted the following results:

47,195 vehicles were scanned by the ANPR systems.

507 of these vehicles were stopped for further enquiries.

58 arrests were made (44 Police for a variety of criminal offences including drugs possession and vehicle crime- 14 Immigration arrests).

In addition to their arrests, Immigration detected 4 other offences.

Police drugs dogs carried out 59 vehicle searches.

Officers made 8 drug seizures, all but 2 resulting in arrests. (Street caution).

Department for Works and Pensions detected 44 separate benefit frauds.

DVLA either detected 87 offences by either clamping or seizing of vehicles.

VOSA issued 91 vehicle prohibitions notices.

HM Customs detected 4 independent jobs, tobacco, counterfeit currency, red diesel etc.

Trading Standards detected a waste disposal offence, they were only there on day 1.

By working with partner agencies, law enforcement and being intelligence led this was a tremendous result for the operation. Within the first fifteen minutes of starting Essex Police picked up an ANPR hit on a stolen vehicle which was subsequently recovered and persons arrested.

The best "lift" of the day was a Lamborghini Countach similar to the one below, for no insurance!!

On one of the evenings a flatbed lorry was stop checked and found to have a large amount of copper cabling on board. The driver was arrested after he failed to account for it, he was later released on bail. However whilst on bail the vehicle was seen again and this time the occupants were in the process of stealing more copper cabling from underground telephone cables. Another great arrest!!!