Tri-Service
Crooked Soldiers Admit Stealing SAS Kit
Three British Army soldiers are facing jail after admitting to stealing thousands of pounds of equipment from the SAS before selling it on to buyers in the Far East.
Stores managers Craig Davenport and Stephen Suffield, both non-commissioned officers (NCOs), took kit including silencers, stun grenades, and flare launchers, before handing it to Andrew Stevens, a 41-year-old who had contacts in Asia, according to the Sun.
Davenport was receiving praise as recently as April for his work as a forces football referee.
The Army Football Association described him on its Facebook page as an 'outstanding member of the Army FA Referee fraternity' after he received a 'fully deserved' Dobsons' trophy for his work over the course of the season.
Davenport was awarded the trophy at the 2016 Army Referees Annual Awards at Sandhurst
The soldiers conspired for nine months, setting up a WhatsApp account named "Boys Toys" to discuss what could be stolen from the SAS storerooms at Hereford.
They were eventually caught after an airport scanner picked up a stolen pair of night vision goggles, which Suffield, who'd built up gambling debts, was trying to smuggle out of Heathrow and into Hong Kong.
Radioactive material in the goggles set off the security scanners, and police soon discovered a stash of other kit at Stevens' home in Waterlooville, Hampshire.
Prior to their discovery, Davenport had posted pictures of gear, which Stevens, who ran a paintball park, would comb through to see what could be sold in Japan and Hong Kong.
A pair of night vision goggles brought the theft to light
Once the items had been selected, Davenport set up a fake ID under the pseudonym "Sgt Smith".
He paired this up with the registration number of a retired SAS member, and then used the ID to send equipment 'for repair'.
Davenport claimed what he pinched was "scrap from bins", but Stevens made several thousand pounds in a single sale to one Japanese client.
Now that the three have been caught, one source has said that they should "have the book thrown at them".
For its part, the MoD has said:
"The Army takes the security of equipment very seriously and all thefts are rigorously investigated. In line with normal procedure if a soldier is sentenced to imprisonment, an application will be made for his discharge from the Army".
Cover image: Sergeant Davenport receiving his Army referees award
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