A professional shoplifting gang operating in the UK has stolen over £73,000 worth of goods from supermarkets. The group, dubbed “the champagne gang” by the National Business Crime Solution (NBCS), wears bluetooth headsets and works in groups of three, warning one another of security guards’ movements. They also use distraction tactics: one member of the group sets off the security alarm to attract staff, while another walks out of the door unnoticed, carrying stolen goods in a trolley or basket.
The gang was reportedly formed in Romania and has been responsible for 60 known shoplifting incidents; it only came to NBCS’s attention in 2023. NBCS is currently monitoring 63 criminal groups across the UK, which have been responsible for at least £2.4m worth of theft in the past five years. Of these, 26 originate from the UK and Ireland, with the rest from other European nations. Stolen goods are believed to be transported back to Europe where they can be sold. The gangs are “very good at adapting” their tactics to deal with new retail crime prevention technologies, according to Steph Coombes of the National Police Chief Council.
Shoplifting adds around £133 a year to the cost of an average UK household’s annual shopping bill according to the Centre for Retail Research. Sarah Walker, manager of retailer Browns department store in Beverley, warned that thieves are becoming more sophisticated in their methods. In March, a perfume theft at her store was followed 90 minutes later by a targeted raid on another Browns shop in York. Walker described the gangs as “intimidating”. Staff from the targeted stores report their concerns to the police, but with reported incidents often “falling on deaf ears”.
If caught, gang members are disposable, says Sarah Bird of the NBCS. They are often bailed and return to their home countries. The NBCS has two gang members on record as having been prosecuted
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