Construction equipment stolen in France smuggled to Ukraine, other states: Study

By Timo Kirez

GENEVA (AA) – France saw a jump in thefts of construction machinery last year, with much of the stolen goods smuggled abroad to countries such as Ukraine.

There was a 13% spike in the number of construction equipment stolen across France in 2022, according to a study by French firms Coyote and the Observatory of Industry, Trade and Services cited in a Thursday report by news channel RTL.

The study points to the involvement of well-organized professional networks that smuggle the equipment abroad, identifying Ukraine as a particularly popular target.

Since the war began in February 2022, earthmoving and construction equipment has been in high demand in Ukraine, prompting thieves to stock up “in the West,” Olivier David, sales manager for Coyote, told RTL.

“The machines are pretty easy to take, to lift, to put on a dump truck … They drive across the country, across the border, and you don’t see them again,” he said.

Domestically, the thefts are becoming a major problem for the construction industry: one in every two companies in France is now affected, while damages over a year’s time were to the tune of €20 million ($21.8 million), the report said.

According to the study, the most commonly stolen items were construction tools (69%), commercial vehicles (28%), and mobile construction equipment (14%).

“Barely one in 10 machines are ever recovered, which highlights the impact of the phenomenon,” said David.​​​​​​​