Three brazen shoplifters who were part of a criminal gang that stole nearly £200,000 of goods from Tesco have been jailed

The thieves are believed to be responsible for over 100 crimes targeting large supermarkets and focusing on stealing razors, alcohol, fragrances, and beauty and electric goods.

In their highest value theft, they also stole champagne bringing the value of just one spree to more than £4,500.  While the total amount of stolen goods has been proven at just under £200,000, its true total is estimated to be significantly higher.

Working as a team, one person would act as a look-out whilst others concealed items. They would then either make no attempt to pay before leaving the store or make a small token purchase at a self-checkout.  Audaciously, they were even known to change clothes before returning to the same store to commit further offences.  

Crimes connected to the group were linked from across the country as far as Poole and Portsmouth in the south, Bristol in the west, Gillingham in the east and Chorley and Wigan in the north.

Surrey Police’s investigation began when intelligence was passed on by Opal - the National Police Chief's Council's intelligence unit focused on serious organised acquisitive crime. Thanks to funding from the Pegasus Partnership launched in 2023, Opal now has a dedicated team focused on intelligence around organised retail crime. The team works to centrally map offences which provides a unique opportunity to identify offenders targeting multiple locations and police force areas.

There were 11 offences committed in Surrey and our officers were able to prove the greater crime of organised conspiracy and convict all three suspects of 120 offences across the country.

Surrey Police’s investigators worked in partnership with Tesco, wading through hours of CCTV footage, and with Opal who helped develop an investigative approach for this complex investigation. Kent Police also assisted with vital intelligence.

On Friday 8 November at Chelmsford Crown Court:

• Laura Miron, 27 (DOB 23.11.96), of Feltham was sentenced to three years and three months in prison.
• Oviliv Firan, 38 (DOB 12.09.86), of Hounslow, was sentenced to three and half years in prison.
• Nicolae Boia, 30 (DOB 19.11.93), of Hounslow, was sentenced to two years and 11 months in prison.

All three had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal at Guildford Crown Court on Monday, 28 October.

The three defendants were key figures in a much larger organised crime gang responsible for around 800 offences across the country. Police believe the entire gang has ceased to operate since these arrests.

Surrey Police Inspector Chris Thoday said:  “This result is down to the hard work and determination of the team to ensure Miron, Firan and Boia paid the full penalty for their extensive and organised offending not just in Surrey but across the country.

“Theft from shops is a crime that may be seen to be ‘victimless’ but, for shop workers and law-abiding people who work hard to pay their way, it is a painful, unfair, and sometimes frightening crime they can often feel powerless to prevent. I hope this result demonstrates Surrey Police takes retail theft very seriously.

“We are grateful for the meticulous work of Tesco’s crime and intelligence team and for the support from Opal. This case demonstrates how powerful we can be when we work together and we will continue doing so to tackle retail theft in Surrey.”

Stephanie Coombes, Head of Intelligence at Opal, said: “This is a fantastic result which really shows the value of our work at Opal in partnership with police forces and retailers. Since we began taking intelligence reports in May 2024, we’ve seen a number of success stories just like this one, where organised groups are targeting multiple locations in the expectation that then they’re less likely to be identified. By centralising intelligence from retailers and police forces, we’re able to build a comprehensive picture of offending which means there is quite literally nowhere for offenders to hide. I’d like to thank Surrey Police for taking on this case and for their hard work in progressing the investigation and ensuring these harmful offenders are brought to justice.”

Joint APCC Lead on Business and Retail Crime and Chair of the Pegasus Partnership, PCC Katy Bourne, said: “I’m delighted the members of this gang have been brought to justice and congratulate Surrey Police and the Opal team on taking these criminals off the streets.  This result is exactly why I established the unique Pegasus Partnership a year ago so that retailers and police forces could effectively share intelligence and identify the organised criminal gangs who are driving the massive increase in shop theft we have been seeing.

“This case demonstrates the benefits of that intelligence-sharing model. Pegasus has brought an effective focus to the issue of shop theft and, as this case shows, it is never a victimless crime.  PCCs are committed to ensuring their local force does all it can to combat it. Today’s sentences should serve as a warning to shop thieves, great and small, that they will not be allowed to get away with their crimes.”

Above: Oviliv Firan

Above: Nicolae Boia

Above: Laura Miron