Police believe that thrill-seeking “career criminals” from the city are behind a string of daring raids on north-east mountaineering shops.
Officers last night said it was lucky nobody had been hurt after thieves sped off in stolen cars with £15,000 worth of stock from Braemar Mountain Sports on Wednesday.
Detective Chief Inspector Matt Mackay said they were closing in on the thieves, whom he described as “opportunistic” and committing the crimes “for the thrill”.
He also confirmed that his team were treating the raid in Braemar as being linked to a similar break-in to Banchory’s Out There Active Wear on June 9.
A red Mini Countryman taken from a property on Huntly’s Glamourhaugh Crescent on Monday was used to carry out the Braemar theft, as was a Volkswagen Passat taken from the Deeside village on Wednesday. Both were later recovered in Aberdeen.
DCI Mackay, who is in charge of the Braemar investigation, denied communities in rural Aberdeenshire were being singled out.
“It is opportunistic,” he said, “If we take Braemar and move backwards, the criminals are travelling about the north-east from the city out to more rural areas.
“They are trying doors until they find one open and taking the car keys. Primarily they seem to migrate into the city.
“We have a group of criminals from the city who are travelling far and wide involved in mainly stealing vehicles.
“We can’t link them all but certainly there is a link between the Banchory one and the Braemar one.
“These individuals on the whole are not carrying out their crimes for financial gain. We see a lot of it as opportunistic, thereafter the vehicle is disposed.
“At this moment in time these criminals are career criminals. On occasion they will commit crimes as they have done on this occasions primarily for the thrill.
“They’ll head back to the city driving in a ridiculous manner, causing danger to other road users. These individuals need to be stopped.
“We are following positive lines of inquiry and we’ll leave no stone un-turned.”
He added that stealing vehicles is often made “too easy for them” – with doors and cars often left not properly secured, and encouraged people to “lock up”.
He said: “We really need to make it difficult. In their hands – the wrong hands – your vehicle is a lethal weapon.”
Police had to abandon their chase of the Braemar raiders due to safety concerns.
One of the stolen vehicles was involved in a collision as the thieves made their way into Aberdeen.
DCI Matt Mackay said: “One of the vehicles from Braemar was involved in an accident, a single vehicle RTC, at some road works. Fortunately this time nobody else was involved.
“They made good on their escape and obviously had other vehicles. They made it all the way into the city thereafter.
“There is driving up roads the wrong way, through car parks at speeds, which is dangerous for any other people on the road.
“There does come a time where it is unsafe to pursue individuals displaying such a disregard for anybody’s safety. The fundamental problem here is they won’t stop doing it because they are career criminals.”
