Retailers in the UK and beyond are facing growing disruption as organised crime gangs infiltrate the haulage sector, using apparently legitimate logistics businesses to steal goods in transit.
Police and industry data show UK freight crime and cargo theft have surged since the pandemic, with losses now running into hundreds of millions of pounds and raising concerns for retail supply chain security.
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How gangs infiltrate haulage and freight platforms
Law enforcement and industry bodies report that organised crime groups are buying struggling haulage firms, reviving the identities of companies that have ceased trading or setting up new firms that closely imitate genuine operators.
These entities then operate as apparently legitimate carriers, complete with company registrations, insurance documents and branded vehicles.
Once these criminal hauliers are in place, they use freight-exchange platforms and online load boards to bid for work. They present cloned or fraudulently registered HGVs at depots, provide convincing paperwork, collect pre-loaded trailers and disappear with the cargo.
In some recent cases, investigations have shown that stolen or misused identities — including those of deceased individuals — have been used to set up bogus haulage companies that go on to steal lorryloads of parcels and consumer goods.
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By GlobalDataThis approach sits alongside more traditional forms of cargo theft, such as cutting curtain-sided trailers in lay-bys, targeting vehicles parked overnight or attacking trucks as they deliver to retail outlets.
NaVCIS, the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service, has documented a pattern of so-called “jump-up” and “sneak-up” offences in which thieves quickly access goods without confrontation, often targeting tobacco and fast-moving consumer products bound for shops.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) has also warned in 2025 that organised crime groups are actively targeting the haulage sector more broadly, including recruiting HGV drivers and exploiting logistics routes for serious offences.
Officials say the same vulnerabilities that allow people-smuggling or fuel theft can also be used to facilitate large-scale cargo theft, underlining that the risk to freight and retail supply chains now exists in every region of the UK.
Rising cost of UK freight crime for retailers
The latest freight crime figures show a sharp rise in the value of goods stolen from lorries operating in the UK. In 2023, there were around 5,370 recorded incidents of heavy goods vehicle and cargo crime, with reported wholesale losses of about £68.3m.
In 2024, the total value of goods stolen rose by nearly two-thirds to £111.5m, even though reported incident numbers were lower, indicating a shift towards higher-value cargo theft.
Industry assessments suggest that once retail margins, VAT and insurance are taken into account, the true cost to the retail and logistics sector is several times higher than the headline figures.
Some estimates put the direct cost of UK freight crime since 2020 at more than £300m, with the wider economic impact likely to exceed £1bn.
For retailers, this growth in UK freight crime and cargo theft means more than isolated stock losses. High-value, fast-moving consumer goods are prime targets, including electronics, DIY products, cosmetics, alcohol, tobacco and branded clothing. When trailers are stolen or stripped, the result can be:
- missed delivery slots into distribution centres
- shortages of key lines in stores and online
- disruption to seasonal promotions
- increased insurance costs and security spend
Stolen cargo is often broken down into smaller lots and moved quickly through informal wholesale channels, cash-and-carry outlets or online marketplaces.
That creates a further risk for legitimate retailers and brands: stolen stock can re-enter the market in parallel with genuine supply, undercutting prices and blurring traceability.
Global players in the retail industry that rely on UK road freight are watching the trend closely. Supply chain and loss-prevention teams are being urged by insurers and security advisers to treat UK freight crime as a strategic risk, on a par with cyber attacks or warehouse break-ins, rather than a marginal operational issue.
Industry and lawmakers push freight crime bill
The scale of UK cargo theft has prompted a strong response from trade bodies and MPs. The Road Haulage Association (RHA), logistics groups and retailers have backed calls for a dedicated Freight Crime Bill, which aims to create a specific offence for freight crime, improve recording of incidents and give police clearer powers to pursue organised cargo theft.
In March 2025, MPs at Westminster debated freight crime and its impact on the economy, noting that many thefts are planned by organised crime gangs rather than opportunist thieves.
Subsequent legal and industry briefings underline that freight crime is now seen as a major threat to national supply chains, not just a transport issue.
A national freight crime awareness campaign has been proposed to encourage reporting and share intelligence between hauliers, retailers, insurers and the police.
Alongside legislation, industry and law-enforcement agencies are focusing on practical risk controls that retailers can use when working with haulage partners in the UK logistics market:
- Stronger due diligence on carriers – checking company histories, ownership changes, trading status and insurance before awarding contracts or sub-contracts, and repeating these checks regularly.
- Tighter controls on freight exchanges – verifying operator licences, vehicle registrations and identity documents for hauliers bidding for loads, and watching for patterns that may indicate bogus carriers.
- Use of secure parking and routing – prioritising secure HGV parking areas with CCTV and access controls, supported by government investment, and planning routes to minimise high-risk stops.
- Improved incident reporting and data sharing – encouraging hauliers and retailers to report every instance of UK freight crime so that NaVCIS, insurers and trade bodies can track trends, identify hotspots and link offences to organised crime groups.
For international retailers shipping into or out of the UK, experts recommend integrating freight crime controls into wider supply chain security programmes.
That includes aligning carrier vetting processes across markets, setting minimum security standards for UK haulage contracts and ensuring commercial teams understand the risks of awarding work solely on headline price.
As peak trading periods approach in late 2025, law-enforcement agencies continue to warn that gangs buying or imitating haulage firms will remain a serious and evolving threat.
For retailers, the challenge is to tighten logistics security without slowing the flow of goods — keeping UK freight crime and cargo theft from becoming a routine cost of doing business in one of Europe’s most important retail markets.
