The Neal's Yard heist: Why luxury cheese is being targeted by criminals

A 63-year-old man was arrested in London , then released on bail in late October .

The 950 truckles of cheese roughly the weight of four full-sized elephants have disappeared without a trace.

Food-related crimes which include smuggling, counterfeiting, and out-and-out theft cost the global food industry between US $30 to 50 billion a year.

There is a long-established connection between food and organised crime, says Andy Quinn of the National Food Crime Unit .

Stolen cheese is often sent overseas to countries where there are thriving food black markets and indeed cheese black markets.

Russia is one country where there is a thriving black market for cheese.

The Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium introduced tracking chips as part of the label embedded in the hard rind of the cheese.

Each tiny chip contains a unique digital ID that can authenticate the cheese. Buyers can now scan each wheel to check its authenticity or find out if it was stolen. The consortium is yet to release any figures showing whether the technology is cutting down levels of fraud..