Prosecutors in Manhattan revealed that a group of individuals collaborated with a hacking syndicate to execute a series of sophisticated thefts involving valuable goods. This operation, spanning from October 2025 to April 2026, resulted in the theft of approximately $4.5 million worth of items, including a diverse array of products like cheese, lamb, beef, and cigarettes.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has charged eight people in connection with these crimes. The criminal scheme employed various tactics, such as phishing and the use of fake company logos, to deceive legitimate shipping companies and brokers into supplying shipment information.
In a news conference, Alvin L. Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, emphasized the unsettling aspect of the crimes. Neither the goods’ owners nor the legitimate shipping companies were aware that their valuable cargo had been compromised until the thefts were completed.
The criminals executed six major heists using deceitful methods. They posed as authentic shipping carriers and brokers, employing illegitimate shipment information obtained through phishing. This information allowed drivers, equipped with forged invoices and counterfeit logos on their trucks, to steal the cargo from unsuspecting businesses.
Besides meat and cigarettes, the group also managed to steal over $266,000 worth of copper. Prosecutors identified the leader of this group as Murodullo Khasanov, aged 40. The other individuals involved range in age from their early 20s to early 40s.
Each participant faces several charges, including grand larceny, conspiracy in the fourth degree, and criminal possession of stolen property. Three group members were arraigned on Wednesday, while others remain in ICE detention, have been deported, or are being extradited from Pennsylvania. Notably, Khasanov is also wanted in Uzbekistan for fraud.
The incident is reminiscent of prior black market activities targeting less perishable goods. In a separate case in 2024, several individuals faced charges for possessing $1 million in stolen merchandise from major retailers.
Hurubie Meko, a Times reporter, focuses on criminal justice coverage in New York, particularly concerning the Manhattan district attorney’s office and state courts.