New investigation shines spotlight on freight crime epidemic…

Criminal gangs are buying up haulage firms to pose as truckers and steal goods by the lorryload, it has been revealed.

The BBC says it has found evidence that a group of haulage companies were purchased using a dead man’s details.

One of the haulage firms was then hired as a subcontractor by an unwitting UK transport company. A manufacturer loaded one of the subcontractor’s lorries up with goods – which were then never seen again.

Alison – not her real name – runs the Midlands transport firm that was tricked by the fake subcontractors, and says it is “incredible” that “a gang can go in and target a company so blatantly”.

This brazen tactic is just one of the ways criminals are targeting haulage firms who deliver retail stock and other supplies all over the country, as freight theft in the UK rose to £111M last year, from £68M in 2023.

Drivers, who frequently have to stop and sleep overnight in their cabs, have told the BBC they often wake to find the curtained sides of their lorries slashed by criminals who tried to get at the cargo inside, with shipments of designer clothes, alcohol and electronics among the most common targets.

“You should care because it hits your wallet,” said John Redfern, a former security manager for a major supermarket. “As more products get stolen, the cost of goods for the consumer will go up over time.”

The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) said freight crime is becoming “more sophisticated, more organised” and said police forces need to work with the industry to respond.