The UK’s cargo theft crisis costs the economy £700m a year, with criminal gangs operating with near impunity. Every time a lorry gets robbed, raided, or hijacked, it’s Mike Dawber who investigates.
The scale of the problem
This week’s audio long read, originally from March, highlights the staggering losses: 35,000 pints of stolen Guinness and 950 wheels of pilfered cheese are among the incidents that illustrate the issue.
The podcast is part of a series running every Wednesday and Friday in August, featuring some of the favourite audio long reads of 2026, with introductions from the editorial team explaining why they were chosen.
Investigation and response
Mike Dawber is the investigator who handles each case of lorry robbery, raid, or hijacking. His work is central to addressing the crisis, which sees gangs operating with little fear of consequence.
The episode is read by Nicholas Camm and written by Stuart McGurk. A text version is available, and the podcast is supported by the Guardian’s long read podcast team.
Impact and context
The £700m annual cost underscores the severity of the issue for the UK economy. The thefts affect the courier, delivery, and retail industries, as well as police efforts to combat the trend.
The podcast explores whether the crisis can be stopped, given the scale and impunity of the criminal operations involved.
