Arrest made in massive U.K. cheese heist, but $540K worth of cheddar still at large
950 wheels of cheese weighing 22 tonnes stolen by con artists, alleges Neal's Yard Dairy
A 63-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a U.K. cheese heist that saw con artists make off with more than £300,000 (or more than $540,000 Cdn) in clothbound, award-winning cheddar.
Police received a report of the theft of "a large quantity of cheese" from a manufacturer on Oct. 21, London's Metropolitan Police Service confirmed in a statement to CBC News on Monday.
Investigating officers have since arrested a man on suspicion of fraud by false representation and handling stolen goods, a spokesperson explained in an email statement.
"The man was taken to a south London police station where he was questioned. He has since been bailed pending further inquiries," the statement said.
Multiple media outlets have reported the cheese itself hasn't been recovered. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports that some of the suppliers involved "have suggested trying to sell the cheeses in the UK, Europe or Australia would prove difficult for thieves."
The police spokesperson told CBC they will not be providing running commentary on the investigation.
Cheese theft cuts deep
Neal Yard's Dairy posted a statement on Oct. 22 saying it was "the victim of a sophisticated fraud" after 950 wheels of cheese weighing 22 tonnes were stolen by con artists posing as a retailer for a French wholesale distributor. They added they only realized the fraud after the cheese had been delivered.
"The fraud was deceptively convincing," they wrote.
The nabbed cheeses including Hafod Welsh organic cheddar, Westcombe cheddar and Pitchfork cheddar.
"Between them, these cheeses have won numerous awards and are amongst the most sought-after artisan cheeses in the U.K.," the statement continued.
In an update to its statement, Neal's Yard Dairy wrote that on Oct. 30, they learned the Metropolitan Police made an arrest.
"We are grateful for the progress they have made, and we will continue to support their investigation in any way we can," the dairy added.
Overwhelmed by support
The heist made headlines around the world and rallied the cheese community in a region where cheddar is a source of national pride. In fact, cheddar is named after a district in Somerset, England, the birthplace of the hard cow's milk cheese more than 800 years ago.
In an Oct. 25 Instagram video, British chef Jamie Oliver urged his 11 million followers to be on the lookout for "lorry loads of very posh cheese."
"There's only a small handful of real cheddar-cheese makers in the world," Oliver explained, adding that "it's a real shame."
Neal's Yard Dairy says they've been overwhelmed by support since news of the theft came out.
"We are truly touched that so many people in the artisan cheese community and beyond are standing with us. It's a reminder of why we love the work we do," they wrote on Instagram on Oct. 27.
Cheese thefts common
According to the U.K.'s Centre for Retail Research, in the earlier 2000s, cheese was the most stolen product in the U.K. and Europe.
In July, a court ruled that a German police officer who was fired for stealing cheddar cheese from an overturned truck while attending a traffic accident couldn't get his job back.
In 2022, thieves stole 161 wheels of cheese worth about $32,000 Cdn from a Dutch cheese farmer, according to the New York Times. Dairy farms in the Netherlands are frequently targeted, with the website Dutch News reporting in 2016 that 8,500 kilograms of Dutch cheese was stolen in the previous year, worth about $135,000.
Italy is also often a target for Parmigiano Reggiano thieves. In 2016, CBS reported that about $9.7 million worth of the hard Italian cheese had been stolen in the past two years.
The U.S. isn't immune, with 20,000 pounds of fresh Wisconsin cheese worth about $64,000 nabbed by "cheese bandits" in 2016. And in Canada, thieves made off with $187,000 worth of cheese from Saputo Dairy Products in Tavistock, Ont., in 2019.
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