Gang of shoplifters behind £4,000,000 thefts caught in police crackdown

Shoplifting levels are at an all-time high, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) (Picture: SWNS)

A group responsible for more than £4million worth of thefts from retailers has been arrested by a specialist police unit.

The unit has arrested 93 members of 28 organised crime gangs who are behind the thefts.

The Opal team has been in operation since May 2024 and confirmed of these 93 members, 32 have appeared in court and five have been deported,according to the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).

A group arrested as part of this were three people who stole more than £200,000 from Tesco.

Laura Miron, 27, OvIliv Firan, 38, and Nicolae Boia, 30, were jailed in Guildford last month for their crimes.

Their biggest heist was a shoplifting spree that involved stealing £4,500 worth of champagne.

The group were also key players in an organised crime ring responsible for around 800 offences across the country, Surrey Police says.

This new police unit is helping to tackle a rise in shoplifting by mapping gangs to see where they operate.

Officials use referrals from police forces and retailers which helps build the intelligence packages used for the mapping.

They have identified 228 previously unknown offenders and 70 vehicles involved in retail crime.

Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman for the NPCC said: ‘We know that organised criminality has a significant impact on retail crime with offenders targeting multiple force areas and multiple retailers in the hope of going under the radar.

‘Our centralised unit means we can build a detailed picture of offending across borders so there is quite literally nowhere for these individuals and groups to hide.

‘Our work can be as light touch as putting CCTV images through the police national database to identify an individual or as extensive as building a detailed intelligence package of offending across multiple areas and retailers but either way, it’s proving extremely effective.’

Many businesses across high streets in the UK have been impacted by the rise in shoplifting (Picture: Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Shoplifting levels reached a record high in October, with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealing that 1,300 offences were recorded every day.

Across England and Wales, 469,788 offences were logged.

This is the highest level recorded since records began in March 2003.

Talking about the recent arrests, Dame Diana Johnson, Minister for Crime and Policing, said: ‘These are promising initial results. Smart, data-led policing working with businesses will be vital to turn the tide on current unacceptable record levels of shop theft.

‘But we know we need to go much further. This is why we’ve committed £5 million over the next three years to continue this specialist work.

‘Retail crime blights our communities and high streets. We are determined to crack down on this crime through stronger laws and more neighbourhood policing on our streets.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Arrow
MORE: Student fined £129.50 after sitting in ‘wrong first class’ of train to London

Arrow
MORE: From sequins to velvet, celebrate the festive season in style with these fabulous Christmas party outfits

Arrow
MORE: Rapper freed early from jail flaunts new lifestyle with £2,000,000 Rolls-Royces