NaVCIS, the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service, says it processed 3,424 individual crime notifications from UK police services and industry partners during 2025. The figure is equivalent to around 9.4 reports a day.
The unit also reported 1,373 enquiries and said it supported more than 40 intelligence-led police operations during the year. It was notified of 265 arrests directly related to freight crime.
NaVCIS Freight says it works with police forces and industry partners to help protect drivers, loads and vehicles. The unit is industry-funded and says it does not currently receive Home Office funding.
The 2025 figure is lower than the 5,373 road freight crime offences recorded by NaVCIS in England in 2023, when losses were put at £68 million.
However, industry reports have repeatedly warned that the real cost of freight crime is likely to be higher than the value of stolen goods alone. The wider impact can include vehicle damage, replacement transport, missed deliveries, insurance costs, driver distress and disruption to supply chains.
The DfT-backed Task and Finish Group report on freight crime, published last year, said road freight crime often involves organised groups targeting HGVs, cargo and equipment. The report also linked the issue to the shortage of secure lorry parking and the exposure of drivers during mandated rest periods.
Bill to create clearer freight-crime recording makes no progress
The figures come as industry calls continue for freight crime to be recorded more clearly within the UK policing system.
The Freight Crime Bill, introduced by Rachel Taylor MP, aimed to make provision for the recording and investigation of freight crime. Its purpose was to stop large-scale cargo theft and attacks on freight vehicles being treated simply as standard theft from vehicles.
Supporters of a separate freight-crime category argue that clearer recording would help police identify patterns, track hotspots and respond more consistently when incidents are reported.
However, according to the UK Parliament’s Bill page, the 2024–26 parliamentary session has ended and the Bill will make no further progress in that session.
For hauliers, the figures underline that freight crime remains a daily operational risk, particularly when vehicles are parked overnight or drivers are forced to take statutory rest breaks in poorly secured areas.
