Theft cases of wheel loaders, machines to move aside or load heavy materials, have been increasing at dairy farms where the loaders are used to mix up cow’s manure for production of organic fertilizers.
Most of the wheel loaders targeted in robbery are old-fashioned models, which are commonly not installed with the global positioning system (GPS) as an anti-theft device.
An overall picture of the theft cases has not been obtained. But these cases have occurred most frequently in Shizuoka prefecture. According to a prompt report of the Shizuoka Prefectural Police Department, 19 wheel loaders of livestock farmers were stolen during a period from January to late April, exceeding the corresponding figure of 14 in the whole year of 2015.
The police officers of the Department urged wheel loader owners to keep a strict guard against thieves, saying “Farmers are obviously targeted. They need to be most cautious particularly during the consecutive holidays in May when a number of people move in every part of the country.”