THIS is the moment three brazen shoplifters stuff Tesco groceries into their backpacks in front of shoppers.

Shocking CCTV footage shows the theft orchestrated by the trio, as they protect each other from criminal acts and steal dozens of items from the supermarket’s shelves.

Scammers targeted high-value items including champagne, razors, alcohol, perfume and beauty and electrical products as part of a crime spree that included more than 100 crimes and They have been proven to have cost almost £200,000 – although the true value is thought to be much higher. .

Nicolae Boia, 30, Laura Miron, 27, and Oviliv Firan, 38, allegedly worked as a team to grab and hide items from Tesco’s shelves – before leaving the store without payment or going to the self-checkout to make a small symbolic purchase.

Video of one theft shows them wheeling one cart in front of another to block the view from the aisle, while the second, Boia, retrieved items from shelves in a backpack.

Shocking CCTV footage shows the theft orchestrated by the trio, as they protect each other from criminal acts and steal dozens of items from the supermarket’s shelves.

Scammers targeted high-value items including champagne, razors, alcohol, perfume and beauty and electrical products as part of a crime spree that included more than 100 crimes and They have been proven to have cost almost £200,000 – although the true value is thought to be much higher.

His accomplices Miron and Firan then acted as lookouts, with Miron eventually exchanging baskets with Boia – all three continuing to “go shopping” while acting as if they did not know each other.

The trio – believed to be part of a much larger organized crime gang – are believed to be responsible for more than 100 crimes targeting major supermarkets – mainly thefts of razors, alcohol, perfume, beauty products and electrical appliances.

In their most expensive heist, they stole bottles of champagne, taking the value of a single spree to more than £4,500.

They were so bold in their offenses that in some cases they would simply change their clothes before returning to the same store to commit further offenses.

Crimes linked to the group were linked to several locations across the country – from Poole and Portsmouth in the south and Chorley and Wigan in the north to Bristol in the west and Gillingham in the east.

Surrey Police’s investigation began when intelligence was passed through Opal, the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s intelligence unit focused on serious organized acquisitive crime.

Officers worked in partnership with Tesco to comb through hours of CCTV footage and trace 11 shoplifting offenses committed across Surrey.

Video of one theft shows them rolling one cart in front of another to block the view from the aisle.

Boia could be seen picking up items from the shelves into a backpack before hoisting it onto his back and walking away.

Miron eventually exchanged baskets with Boia – the three of them continuing to “go shopping” while acting as if they didn’t know each other.

They then managed to link the criminals to 120 offenses across the country, proving the most significant crime of ‘organized conspiracy’.

Miron, Firan and Boia are believed to have been part of a larger organized crime gang responsible for around 800 offenses across the UK – but police believe they have ceased activity since these arrests.

At sentencing on Friday (November 8) at Chelmsford Crown Court, Miron, from Feltham, was jailed for three years and three months.

Firan, from Hounslow, was jailed for three and six months, and Boia, also from Hounslow, was jailed for two years and 11 months.

All three had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to rob at Guildford Crown Court on October 28.

The three defendants were key figures in a much larger organized crime gang responsible for around 800 offenses across the country, police said.

Police believe the entire gang has ceased operations since the arrests.

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

“Store theft is a crime that may seem ‘victimless,’ but for store employees and law-abiding people who work hard to pay for their living, it is a painful, unjust and sometimes frightening, which can often feel helpless to prevent.

“I hope this result demonstrates that Surrey Police takes retail theft very seriously.”

“We are grateful for the meticulous work of Tesco’s crime and intelligence team and the support of Opal.

“This case demonstrates how powerful we can be when we work together and we will continue to do so to combat retail theft in Surrey.”