Prosecutors in Manhattan have accused a group of orchestrating a complex scheme to steal millions in goods, including copper and a vast amount of meat products, which were then sold on the black market.
From October 2025 to April 2026, the group allegedly purloined $4.5 million worth of items. This involved collaboration with a hacking syndicate that utilized phishing to acquire shipment information fraudulently. With fake company logos and counterfeit invoices, the perpetrators posed as legitimate shipping entities, managing to carry out six significant heists, according to prosecutors.
“What is disturbing here is the victims, mainly owners and legitimate shipping companies, were unaware of the thefts until afterward,” stated Alvin L. Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, during a news conference.
The criminal group impersonated actual shipping carriers and brokers, deceiving businesses and brokers into believing they were dealing with trusted partners. This fraudulent communications setup facilitated the theft of massive quantities of meat and cigarettes.
Among the stolen items were 25,000 pounds of cheese, a truck full of lamb, nearly 40,000 pounds of beef, and $3.3 million worth of cigarettes. They also made off with more than $266,000 worth of copper.
The scheme involved a crew using falsified shipment data provided by hackers; drivers arrived at pickup locations with fake invoices and logos to steal cargo.
Murodullo Khasanov, 40, is identified as the leader of the group, with members ranging in age from their 20s to 40s. Each faces charges of conspiracy in the fourth degree, grand larceny, and criminal possession of stolen property. While three were arraigned, others remain in ICE detention, have been deported, or are undergoing extradition from Pennsylvania. Khasanov is also wanted in Uzbekistan for fraud.
Prosecutors noted that past attempts to move stolen goods in New York involved less perishable items, such as a 2024 case where individuals were charged with possessing $1 million in stolen items from retailers like Macy’s and Ulta Beauty.
Hurubie Meko, the Times reporter, covers criminal justice in New York, focusing on the Manhattan district attorney’s office and state courts.