The Crime Agents The criminals making millions from Christmas
Nov 26, 2025
Cullen Mais, a reformed former prolific shoplifter, now collaborates with security firms to combat retail crime, shares his journey from addiction to prevention. Lucy Mitchell, an executive overseeing private security in London's shopping areas, discusses the staggering scale of incidents, noting that they handle about 50,000 yearly. They explore the shift from opportunistic theft to organized crime, the violent tactics employed, and the need for collaboration between private security and police to tackle the growing threat during the festive season.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Policy Change Opened Enforcement Gap
- Police withdrew resources after a £200 decriminalisation threshold, creating an enforcement gap.
- Neil Basu says that policy change signalled policing to deprioritise retail crime and invited exploitation.
From Addict To Professional Thief
- Cullen Mais describes stealing to fund heroin and crack addiction and rising to a professional level.
- He says he stole relentlessly for years until near-death prompted recovery.
Resale Networks Fuel Scale Theft
- Cullen explains fences buy stolen goods at a fraction and sell them slowly, creating demand for mass theft.
- He shows how resale networks make shoplifting a profitable, organised industry.