Truck Pirates Are Going Full Fast & Furious on Your PS5 Delivery

Made famous by action movies like The Fast and the Furious, this type of in-transit heist is as spectacular as it’s risky to pull off. It’s not a new phenomenon either, but it’s picking up speed as the holiday season approaches and thieves know for a fact there’s more money to be made on the black market.

These thieves are often referred to as truck pirates, while the heist is known as “the rollover.” It involves hitting a speeding cargo truck, preferably without the driver noticing it (check out the video at the bottom of the page). According to The Times (via EuroGamer), several cars will box in the truck at 50 mph (80.4 kph), while one gang member climbs out of the car through a hatch of sunroof and gets on the truck. Using a crowbar or cutting tools, he will then gain access inside the truck and throw out the goods for the others to collect.

According to the report, many types of high-value goods are being targeted besides PS5s: TVs, cosmetics, mobile phones, and even cigarettes. The idea is to make a go for the goods when they’re in transit because there’s increased security at all other locations. So, while the “rollover” is the riskiest move, it’s also the most likely to pay off.

In the UK alone, there have been 27 instances of “rollover” heists until September, and their number is increasing as companies are making the final rush for Christmas deliveries. Apparently, drivers and cargo hauling companies have been informed and offered some training on how to protect their shipments.

A former security manager at the Road Haulage Association tells the publication that most of these heists are facilitated by insider knowledge. This makes sense since the truck pirates aren’t hitting random cargo trucks – only those that carry expensive goods. “Somebody must know when and where that vehicle is and it can't be just random that you are going to attack that,” says the source. “Somebody has done some tipping off.”