Table of Contents
Introduction
EQUIPPED with knives and ready for violence, a frightening new form of organized crime is profiting by seizing Christmas packages in bold road raids throughout Britain.
Criminal Activities
With thousands of parcels set to be delivered to UK homes in the coming week, insiders from the underworld reveal that these packages are being ruthlessly taken using alarmingly sophisticated tactics – and the shocking locations where your gifts may end up.
Crime gangs are becoming increasingly bold as they target delivery drivers in broad daylightCredit: X
A masked parcel thief has disclosed the escalating violent tactics employed by gangsters ahead of ChristmasCredit: Hardcash Productions
The raiders escape on motorbikes or getaway cars with altered number platesCredit: Kent Police
As more individuals shop online than ever before, the crime is costing £650 million annually – putting drivers at risk of violent attacks and even death.
Organized Crime
While many thieves are simply opportunistic, police have warned that organized crime gangs are increasingly entering this lucrative market using deceptive methods.
Receiving tips from insiders at distribution centers, these ‘parcel pirate’ criminals gather intelligence about when valuable shipments worth thousands of pounds are on the move before striking ruthlessly.
In a Channel 4 Dispatches show airing tonight, reporter Tir Dhondy investigates this alarming trend – meeting the criminals behind it and setting traps to catch doorstep thieves.
Tir tells The Sun how she was astonished by the sheer audacity of the raiders, who use getaway cars with fake number plates to hijack delivery vans.
She remarked: “I always thought that parcel theft involved people stealing from doorsteps, something more opportunistic.
“However, I discovered that this is transitioning into organized crime, and the tactics employed by these criminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated.
“The scale of the crime, along with the rising use of violence or weapons, truly shocked me.”
With thousands of packages being delivered daily in the lead-up to Christmas, delivery drivers are facing threats for their vans.
In March this year, a thief who dragged a driver for half a mile in a stolen van was sentenced to life in prison.
Claudiu-Carol Kondor, 42, attempted to prevent Mark Ross, 32, from stealing his livelihood in Wortley, West Yorkshire.
Reporter Tir confronts a ‘fence’ who handles stolen goods for criminal networks and claims that phones and technology are shipped out of Britain in barrels to various locations.
He tells Tir: “Containers are sent to parts of Africa, where the markup is significant.
“They lack these items over there; it’s like gold dust.”
He stated he could earn between £2,000 and £10,000 per barrel depending on the contents – and alleged that insiders at parcel firms were complicit in large-scale thefts.
“Customers are opting for recorded delivery more often, so inside help is necessary,” he explained. “From what I’ve heard, you need connections within the companies.
“They receive a fee for the items, and you need someone on the inside working for the parcel company who is willing to share information about where packages are headed, so those looking to steal can simply appear and take them.”
Amazon driver Claudiu-Carol Kondor was killed by a parcel thiefCredit: PA
Claudiu was dragged along as robber Mark Ross drove into parked vehiclesCredit: West Yorkshire Police
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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