A Romanian crime ring, dubbed the ‘Champagne gang,’ is believed to have pilfered at least £73,000 worth of goods from UK supermarkets before smuggling them overseas in a ‘mafia-style’ operation. The gang typically operates in groups of three, using Bluetooth headsets to communicate during their shoplifting sprees.
While blending in with other shoppers, they alert each other if security is watching as they casually lift Champagne bottles from the shelves. One member sets off an alarm to distract security, allowing the others to exit with the stolen items.
Eighteen months ago, the gang exploited a Champagne shortage in mainland Europe following the Covid-19 pandemic, targeting UK shops and smuggling the bottles to Romania to sell on the black market. They have since shifted their focus to meat and other types of alcohol due to increased demand.
Inside Romanian ‘champagne gang’ stealing from supermarkets across Britain
The “mafia-style” operation is run like a business to steal champagne to supply to mainland Europe, where shortage of the wine have fuelled a lucrative black market.https://t.co/YTcecwVkdj pic.twitter.com/Fb4s1EzBVM
— david lawrence (@DavidSocial1976) October 16, 2024
Sarah Bird from the National Business Crime Solution (NBCS), which collaborates with 100 businesses to combat retail crime, describes the operation as ‘mafia-style.’ Bird notes the gang took full advantage of the Champagne shortage caused by increased post-Covid demand and crop failures in Europe, which strengthened the black market.
Bird explains the gang’s hierarchy, with two leaders overseeing employees who steal goods for a daily wage. NBCS data links the gang to 60 shoplifting incidents across the UK, from Gateshead to Bournemouth. The group came to NBCS’s attention in early 2023, having since targeted other alcohol and meat products.
Bird reveals the gang adapts its tactics as technology evolves, such as using baskets and bags after stores introduced trolley wheel technology designed to stop trolleys on the spot. While the group typically operates in threes, Bird recounts an incident in Harrogate involving seven members during a ‘training day for new recruits.’
NBCS reports only two gang members have faced prosecution. Intelligence, including ANPR camera data, indicates the stolen goods are transported through Europe to Romania. Over the past five years, NBCS has tracked 63 organised criminal groups responsible for stealing at least £2.4m worth of goods across the UK, with 37 groups originating primarily from Eastern Europe.
Earlier this week, Waitrose boss James Bailey reported a 15% rise in assaults on staff involving weapons over the past year. Bailey describes the attacks by ‘brazen and aggressive’ gangs as part of a nationwide surge in shoplifting. The government has pledged to crack down on shoplifting, proposing a specific offence for assaulting shop workers, which could carry a maximum six-month prison sentence.
In London, shoplifters are particularly targeting stores near Tube stations for easy getaways. Recent police figures show shoplifting offences have risen by 30% in a year, reaching the highest level in two decades. Nearly 444,000 crimes were recorded in England and Wales in the year to March, up from 342,428 in the previous year, marking the highest figure since records began in 2003.
Reports suggest as few as 12 gangs are responsible for a quarter of all shoplifting in England and Wales, with some foreign offenders flying in to steal and leaving the same day on budget flights. Retail experts warn that the rise in shoplifting is driven by the perception that it is a risk-free crime.
Fixed penalty notices for shoplifting have plummeted, with only 431 issued in the year to March, down 98% from 19,419 a decade ago. The use of cautions has also dropped from 16,281 in 2014 to 2,077 last year—a decline of 87%. Court convictions for retail theft have similarly fallen, with 28,955 convictions last year compared to 71,998 a decade ago.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has vowed to address this issue, pledging to remove the £200 threshold for prosecution, introduce stronger powers to ban repeat offenders from town centres, and make assaults on shop workers a specific criminal offence. She also promises to deploy thousands more police officers to tackle shop theft and other crimes affecting communities.
What Other Media Are Saying
- Express.co.uk reports on the “Romanian champagne gang” using mafia tactics to steal £100,000 of champagne from UK supermarkets, adapting strategies to evade security and supply stolen goods to Europe.(read more)
- The Telegraph reports on a “champagne gang” stealing £73,000 worth of luxury goods in UK supermarkets, operating like a business to supply Europe’s black market amid champagne shortages.(read more)
- BBC reports on a UK supermarket crime gang that stole over £70,000 in 18 months, highlighting organized theft and economic impact.(read more)
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions asked about this news
Who is the Champagne gang?
A Romanian crime ring stealing goods from UK supermarkets, known for smuggling them overseas.
How does the Champagne gang operate?
They use Bluetooth headsets for communication and distraction tactics to steal items like Champagne and meat.
What triggered the Champagne gang’s crime spree?
A Champagne shortage in Europe post-Covid, leading them to target UK shops.
How has shoplifting in the UK changed recently?
Shoplifting offences rose by 30% in a year, reaching the highest level in two decades.
What measures are being proposed to combat shoplifting?
Proposals include removing the £200 prosecution threshold, banning repeat offenders, and making assaults on shop workers a specific offence.