Fake police steal €1 million clothing haul in late-night heist

A lorry driver travelling from Almería to Alicante found himself at the centre of a duplicitous heist in the early hours of Thursday morning, September 17, when his one million euro haul of Inditex clothing was stolen, seemingly by police.

Having departed from Almería earlier that night, the shipment was scheduled to arrive at the El Espartal industrial park on time. However, before the roundabout to turn into the park, it was ambushed. A little after 3.30am, the lorry was cut off by two vehicles that blocked the road ahead. But most curiously, the vehicles bore the same flashing lights and high-pitched sirens of police cars.

Fake police officers ambush lorry

Instinctually, the lorry driver hit the brakes. As soon as the lorry came to a stop, at least two men excited the vehicles and pulled the lorry driver from his cab at gun point. The frightened driver cooperated, and could only watch as the armed men got into the truck and drove off with the trailer full of Inditex clothing, most of it from Zara. The contents had an estimated value of around one million euros.

The lorry driver was then found by a fellow professional who was passing by and lent him his phone to call 112 Emergency Services.

€1 million cargo theft highlights growing security risk

The incident highlights two criminal habits that are becoming increasingly visible in Europe: cargo theft and the impersonation of police officers.

Cargo theft is an attractive target because, as banks, shops and other businesses continue to improve their physical and electronic security, goods in transit can represent a vulnerable point in the supply chain. Trucks carrying valuable merchandise can spend hours on the road, often travelling at night and following predictable routes.

According to the European Commission, theft of cargo from road and rail transport is estimated to cost some €8 billion per year. Clothing, electronics, food, pharmaceuticals and other high-value goods can be particularly attractive to organised criminals because they can potentially be moved and resold quickly.

Police impersonation on the rise

The recent lorry heist also demonstrates how criminals can exploit public trust in the police. By using vehicles fitted with flashing lights and sirens, the thieves were able to create the appearance of a legitimate police stop, giving the driver little reason to suspect that he was about to be robbed.

It was not the only reported case involving alleged fake police officers in Spain that week. In Barcelona, five men posing as police officers reportedly dragged a man from his car in another incident, highlighting how police impersonation can be used to stop and intimidate victims before a robbery or other crime is carried out.

The investigation into the stolen Inditex shipment remains with Alicante’s specialised robbery investigators, who will seek to establish the identities of the armed men, trace the stolen lorry and recover the valuable cargo.