US EditionGangs buy haulage firms to steal lorryloads of goods: BBC
Organised crime groups use dead identities to buy haulage firms and steal £111 million in freight annually, exploiting subcontracting and fake plates to target high-value retail goods.
- The BBC found criminal gangs are buying haulage firms to pose as truckers and steal full lorryloads, with UK freight theft rising to £111m last year from £68m in 2023.
- BBC tracing found bank transfers tied to Romanian lorry driver Ionut Calin, who used dead man's details to buy firms like Zus Transport, according to investigations.
- Alison's firm subcontracted to a smaller transport company earlier this year, a manufacturer loaded a lorry and it drove off on fake plates, later disappearing with 75,000 of cargo.
- The National Police Chiefs' Council warned freight crime is growing more sophisticated and urged police to cooperate with industry, while MPs and the Road Haulage Association demand more resources to protect small haulage businesses.
- Deputy Chief Constable Jayne Meir said a new Opal team will begin targeting the issue next year, while the BBC linked Benjamin Mustata to haulage firms via social media and phone records, though he denies responsibility.
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6 Articles
BBC investigation exposes new freight crime tactic
Criminal gangs are increasingly buying up legitimate haulage companies — sometimes ones in liquidation or administration — and using them to pose as subcontractors before collecting and disappearing with valuable loads, a BBC investigation has found. The exposé, aired on 17 November 2025, shows how fraudsters exploit company-registration checks, insurance paperwork and operator licences to mask freight crime that can run to tens of thousands of …
BBC Investigation: Criminals Snap Up Hauliers To Steal Freight
The BBC has uncovered a scam in which criminal gangs purchase legitimate haulage companies and pose as subcontractors, allowing them to collect and disappear with valuable cargo worth thousands of pounds. The fraud follows a pattern previously seen by Europol in mainland Europe, where legitimate companies on the brink of bankruptcy are bought by organised crime groups, who are then able to steal cargoes they have been contracted to pick up. The …
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