Inside a £70,000 ‘champagne ring’ as shoplifters across Britain paid ‘day rate’ to steal

Well-organised shoplifting gangs targeting major UK stores are ‘recruiting’ criminals to steal, providing them with shopping lists and paying a daily rate for their time, it can be revealed. Others are offered housing and promised a ‘better life’ by working for the gang, with exploitation said to play a role in ongoing crimes.

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

Currently, 63 organized crime groups that have stolen at least £2.4 million worth of goods nationally are being tracked by National Business Crime Solution (NBCS) – which works with more than 100 retailers and the police to reduce thefts. One such operation, dubbed the ‘champagne gang’, has looted at least £73,000 across Britain, including £5,000 stolen from Birmingham zip codes between March and June this year.

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It is thought the Romanian gang, taking advantage of the post-Covid champagne shortage, brought the goods back to Europe to be sold in Eastern European countries. Sarah Bird, corporate crime prevention specialist at NBCS, said BirminghamLive: “This team seems to have really taken that opportunity to steal champagne from British companies – and then set up a new alcohol supply chain going to the continent.

“We saw this team move away from champagne and spirits and start stealing meat, which we know are desirable commodities that they can sell quite easily. One of the first things they started doing was an old-fashioned cart push where they would fill the cart with the desired items, and then perhaps place a larger supply over it.”

Large items such as multi-packs of crisps or toilet rolls were often used to hide the alcohol bottles underneath, she said, adding that they typically work in teams of two to eight people. “Generally one person will complete the actual theft, one or two people will act as lookouts in the store. Your driver will wait not too far away, close enough to the store to put the items in the car,” she explained out.

“You also have distractors that do things like set off the alarm; they will make a scene to make sure security and staff don’t focus on the person trying to steal the goods.”

Thanks to technology, trolley thefts have now become less common among the retailers she works with. “As a retail sector we are generally quite good at identifying solutions that can help protect stock and catch offenders – many supermarkets have built wheel technology into their carts,” she said.

“If the trolley has not traveled a specific route through the store, the technology identifies this and then ensures that the trolley cannot actually be taken out of the store; a block is placed on the trolley wheel.”

However, the champagne gang soon found out about this and opted to use baskets and bags to remove items from instead. “They often use Bluetooth headsets to communicate with each other, within the store and also with the driver if he is waiting nearby, to keep each other informed. They are very organized in the way they do this” , she continued.

The ability to travel easily between countries, a “thriving marketplace” for cheap goods and the cost of living crisis all play a role in the rise in shoplifting rings, she said. “I think it’s much easier these days for people to travel around, to go from one country to another. I think the market for stolen items has gone through the roof,” Ms Bird added.

“Anyone who steals to finance whatever he or she is financing, there needs to be a marketplace where they can sell those items in the first place. Whether it’s businesses or individuals, people want items for less money. There are much easier options for people to also sell goods.”

Two people have so far been arrested in connection with the champagne gang, with investigations ongoing. She says now more than ever it is crucial that businesses work with police forces across the country to reduce shoplifting, which costs retailers millions every year.

“One of the most important things has to be the partnership between retail and law enforcement; we need that partnership more than ever,” Ms Bird said.

“It’s encouraging to see the different police strategies. Reporting these incidents to the police is a must if we want to make a dent. Even the smallest piece of intelligence is very important.”

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