Documenting the ‘Rural Wraith’ Phenomenon

This article reports on a contemporary criminal phenomenon occurring in the UK which spans both urban and rural policing – namely the use of electronic scooters and motorcycles (often simply referred to as e-bikes) to commit crime. These are used by criminals who use them as a tool of criminality because of their enhanced mobility and their operational silence. Gangs of urban based criminals also referred to as ‘Rural Wraiths’ or ‘e-bandits’ use them to raid farms in the countryside to steal quad-bikes and GPS trackers from tractors amongst other items. This innovative criminal modus operandi is a particularly fit with the ecology agriculture in the UK in that many rural areas are within easy travelling distance for urban-based criminals. It is thus of limited utility in rural settings in Australia, the United States and Canada where geographic distances from urban areas are greater. The article introduces the phenomenon by discussing the urban based phenomenon before scoping and documenting the nature of the problem and providing examples of the so-called rural wraith activity in the countryside.