Gangs Flying Shoplifters Into Britain

Thursday, 4th December 2014 at 9:53pm

According to a report in the Independent, Eastern European victims of people trafficking are being exploited by criminal gangs to carry out weekends of high-end shoplifting before being returned home on block-booked budget airline flights, in a new trend of modern slavery identified by Scotland Yard.

UK-based gang leaders are marshalling groups of up to 20 people brought over from countries such as Poland and Lithuania on cheap flights to target designer shops during trips lasting just a few days, detectives said yesterday.

The gangs accept a 20 per cent arrest rate as the cost of a “weekend trafficking” operation that can secure items worth up to £100,000 that are then taken out of the country for resale.

Suspected thieves who have given statements have told police that they have been coerced into carrying out crimes out of fear about what would happen to their families if they refused.

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