Highly organized shoplifting gangs targeting major UK stores ‘recruit’ criminals to steal, give them shopping lists and pay them a daily rate for their time, it can be revealed. Others are offered housing and promised a “better life” by working for the gang, whose exploitation is said to play a role in ongoing murders.

From initially pushing carts full of alcohol and merchandise outside store entrances, to loading shopping carts with loot, their tactics are constantly changing as businesses increase security measures. They often work in groups, wearing Bluetooth headsets to warn each other of guards.

Currently, 63 organized crime groups who have stolen goods worth at least £2.4m nationally are being tracked by the National Business Crime Solution (NBCS) – which works with more than 100 retailers and the police to to reduce thefts. One such operation, dubbed the “champagne gang”, looted at least £73,000 in the UK, including £5,000 stolen from Birmingham postcodes between March and June this year.

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The Romanian gang, who took advantage of the post-Covid champagne shortage, are believed to have smuggled the goods back to Europe to be sold in Eastern European countries. NBCS Business Crime Prevention Specialist Sarah Bird said Birmingham Live: “This team appears to have taken this opportunity to steal champagne from companies in the UK – then to introduce a new alcohol supply chain that goes to the continent.

“We’ve seen this team move away from champagne and start stealing spirits and meat, which we know are sought-after commodities that are quite easy for them to sell. they would fill the cart with the items they wanted, then they could put bigger, bulkier stock on top of it.”

Large items such as multi-chip packets or toilet rolls were items commonly used to hide bottles of alcohol underneath, she said, adding that they generally worked in teams of two to eight. “Generally one person will complete the actual theft, one or two people will act as spotters in the store, you’ll have the driver wait not too far, close enough to the store to put the items in the vehicle.” she explained.

“You’ll also have entertainers doing things like setting off alarms; they will make a scene to ensure that the security members and staff do not focus on the person trying to steal the goods”.

Thanks to technology, push cart theft has now become less common among the retailers they work with. “We’re generally quite good as a retail sector at identifying solutions that can help protect stock and track criminals – many supermarkets have wheel technology built into their trolleys,” she said.

“If the trolley has not traveled a certain route around the store, the technology identifies this and then stops the trolley from actually being able to be taken out of the store; put a block on the wheel of the cart.”

However, the champagne gang soon accepted this, opting to use baskets and bags to dispose of the items. “They often use Bluetooth headsets to communicate with each other in the store and also with the driver if he’s waiting nearby to keep each other updated. They are very organized in the way they do it,” she. he continued.

The ability to travel easily between countries, a “booming market” for cheap goods and the cost of living crisis all play a role in the rise of theft gangs, she said. “I think it’s a lot easier for people to travel these days, to go from one country to another, I think the market for stolen goods has grown a lot,” Ms Bird added.

“Whoever steals to finance whatever they finance, there has to be a market to sell those items in the first place. Whether it’s businesses or individuals, people want items for less money. There are a lot of easier options for people to sell goods too.”

Two people have been arrested so far in connection with the champagne ring, and investigations are ongoing. Now more than ever, she says it is essential that businesses work alongside police forces across the country to reduce theft crimes which cost retailers millions of euros a year.

“One of the key things has to be collaboration between retail and law enforcement; there is a greater appetite than ever for this collaboration,” Ms Bird said.

“It’s encouraging to see the different policing strategies. Reporting these incidents to the police is a must, it must be if we are going to make a noise. Even the smallest piece of information is really important.”

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