Armed robbery
According to Home Office statistics there were 4,014 offences of robbery where firearms (including air weapons) were reported to have been used in England and Wales in 2007/08, with 82 in Scotland and 124 Northern Ireland. The security costs, actual losses, and risks to individuals from armed robbers remain substantial.
The most attractive target for armed robbers is cash. However, the majority of armed robberies are unsophisticated and/or opportunistic. They’re often committed by criminals acting alone, who mainly target cash to fund their immediate needs.
Highly sophisticated armed robberies, targeting greater rewards (such as cash holding centres) are much rarer. These robberies require the resources of an organised group. They need a great deal of planning and expertise in order to succeed, including extensive intelligence gathering, corruption, coercion and techniques to counter surveillance and forensic investigation.
Cash-in-transit armed robberies
Most cash-in-transit robberies are planned and executed as attacks at a point of transfer, when security personnel are outside their vehicles and involve groups of criminals armed with firearms or other weapons, which they are prepared to use.
London (the Metropolitan Police District), Greater Manchester and the West Midlands police force areas account for almost half of all cash-in-transit offences.
In 2008, police forces in England and Wales recorded a decrease in the number of cash-in-transit robberies. In Northern Ireland the number of reported cash-in-transit robberies has seen a significant decrease over the past few years, with figures down 81% from 134 robberies in 2002 to 25 in 2008. Working closely with the private sector in all these countries is thought to have contributed to the decreases.
Road freight crime
Road freight crime is relatively low risk, and potentially highly profitable, and as such it attracts organised criminals. Some organised crime groups are known to have made millions of pounds from road freight crime. In 2008, goods were stolen with a minimum value of £84,430,000 - a year on year increase of 5%.
Organised road freight criminals travel extensively to commit offences. The most affected areas are along the M1/A1 and M40/M6 corridors, and arterial roads serving ports and airports, such as the M25/M20 and M4.
Not all road freight crime is reported to the police, and not all data on reported road freight crime is submitted to Truckpol, the national road freight intelligence unit. Therefore the actual losses are likely to be higher.
Criminals mainly target easily disposable, high value loads, such as alcohol, cigarettes, designer clothing and electrical and computer equipment, including computer chips.
Find out more about the threat of armed robbery now
For further information, take a look at the armed robbery section of the UK Threat Assessment (765.62 kb PDF)
To find out more about road freight crime, see the Truckpol website
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