New South Wales Police have arrested a 53-year-old man at a shopping centre carpark in Auburn today as part of an investigation into an organised retail theft syndicate operating across Sydney.
Police raided a home in Greystanes and a secondary storage facility in Homebush where another 40-year-old man was arrested. The police seized a massive quantity of allegedly stolen goods so large officers had to rent a van and trolley to carry it away as evidence.
Items seized included:
- 1,350 tins of baby formula
- 1,042 bottles of vitamins
- 300 tubs of paw paw cream
- 100 electric toothbrushes
- 47 tubs of menthol rub
Items seized during the two raids are believed to be worth about $100,000.
The 53-year-old man was charged with shoplifting, police will allege in court he facilitated the theft of baby formula and other pharmaceutical items. The 40-year-old man was charged with dealing with property proceeds of crime and receiving stolen property, police will allege in court he received the stolen goods before exporting them overseas.
NRA Response
Reports such as these reinforce why the NRA continuously advocates for a dedicated retail crime task force.
Retail crime is not simply one-off shoplifting of small ticket items. The magnitude of this case involving a highly organised retail crime syndicate systematically shoplifting from Australian businesses and exporting products and profits offshore to the tune of $100,000 is exactly why a retail crime taskforce is needed.
What retailers can do now
The National Retail Association urges retailers to report all instances of crime to Policelink so that law enforcement can get a more accurate reflection of the scope of the issue and deploy relevant resources in the future. To find the relevant state or territory online crime reporting platform, please click here.