The digging crane that was stolen in Knokke-Heist last week has been found. The machine was recovered in Eeklo, next to the N49, the Knokke-Antwerp express road. Peter De Sloovere of construction firm PDS Bouw from Knokke-Heist is happy to have his mini-excavator back, especially as it is not really damaged.
Only in Belgium: construction firm from Knokke-Heist gets stolen digging crane back
Colin Clapson
Published:
The digging crane that was stolen in Knokke-Heist last week has been found. The machine was recovered in Eeklo, next to the N49, the Knokke-Antwerp express road. Peter De Sloovere of construction firm PDS Bouw from Knokke-Heist is happy to have his mini-excavator back, especially as it is not really damaged.
The small excavator disappeared during works on the Kragen Dike in Knokke-Heist (West Flanders). The machine was recovered a few days later thanks to a tip-off from a witness and the detective work of the local police, who studied camera images.
Peter De Sloovere of construction firm PDS Bouw went to collect the mini-excavator from towing services in Eeklo (East Flanders). "I am grateful to the police because I got the excavator back so quickly. I really need the machine a lot. In fact, I am on my way to a yard with it now. Fortunately, the crane has not been damaged very much. The stickers have been pulled off and it’s bent here and there. But it starts well and works as it should."
The investigation into who stole the equipment is ongoing. An examining judge is working on the case.