93 gang members behind £4m in thefts arrested in nationwide shoplifting crackdown

11 December 2024, 08:40 | Updated: 11 December 2024, 08:43

A police squad set up to stem the rising tide of shoplifting has arrested 93 members of organised crime gangs behind retail theft in seven months.

Operation Pegasus has "impacted 28 organised crime groups and high-harm individuals" responsible for more than £4 million in losses to businesses, the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) said.

Official figures released in October showed that shoplifting had hit a new 20-year high.

As part of the operation, last month two men and a woman who were key figures in an organised crime gang responsible for around 800 offences have been jailed.

The trio are believed to be responsible for over 100 crimes targeting large supermarkets and focusing on stealing razors, alcohol, fragrances, and beauty and electric goods, Surrey Police said.

In their highest value theft, they stole champagne bringing the value of just one spree to more than £4,500.

While the total amount of stolen goods has been proven just under £200,000, its true total is estimated to be significantly higher.

Working as a team, one person would act as a look-out whilst others concealed items.

They would then either make no attempt to pay before leaving the store or make a small token purchase at a self-checkout.  

They were even known to change clothes before returning to the same store to commit further offences.

On Friday 8 November at Chelmsford Crown Court:

• Laura Miron, 27, of Feltham was sentenced to three years and three months
• Oviliv Firan, 38, of Hounslow, was sentenced to three and half years
• Nicolae Boia, 30, of Hounslow, was sentenced to two years and 11 months

Police believe the entire gang has ceased to operate since these arrests.

A total of 469,788 offences were logged by forces in the year to June 2024, up 29% on the 365,173 recorded in the previous 12 months, and the highest annual figure since current records began in the year to March 2003.

In November the House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee wrote to policing minister Dame Diana Johnson saying that shop theft is "seriously underreported and not being tackled properly".

It said that the problem risks undermining confidence in the police and the criminal justice system.

Operation Pegasus, which gathers intelligence on retail crime, received 92 referrals from retailers and other organisations, which led police to identify 228 offenders whose names were previously unknown.

The team has also identified 70 vehicles being used in organised retail crime.

So far, 32 of the 93 arrested offenders have appeared in court, and five have been deported.

Asked whether 93 arrests is enough, Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman, NPCC lead for acquisitive crime, said: "We are targeting those prolific offenders who are identified every day in stores across the country, who the 43 (police) forces are working really hard to arrest.

"It's much, much more than that, in terms of the totality, it's just 93 arrests from the organised groups that we've been able to map in the work that we've been doing with Pegasus."

Offenders deliberately target different geographical areas and shops to try to avoid detection, police believe.

Ms Blakeman said "a huge range" of people are involved in the crime, including members of organised gangs and people with alcohol and drug addictions.

"We see a proportion of shoplifting, shop theft, being driven by organised crime.

"We also see a proportion of it being driven by offenders who are perhaps alcohol or drug dependent, and we also see some of it by people who are first time entrants."

She warned anyone buying surprisingly cheap items at this time of year not from retailers, to be suspicious of where the goods have come from.

"We're asking the community to think about when they buy something, especially at this time of year, if it isn't from the retailer and it seems incredibly cheap, it probably has got a background that you should be suspicious of and not purchase it," she said.

Paul Gerrard, director of campaigns and public affairs for the Co-op, said the retailer has seen the difference that the crackdown is making.

He added: "As a community-based retailer we know working in partnership with the police is how we can continue to tackle retail crime together - neither business nor police can solve this alone.

"Co-op turned a spotlight on the involvement of organised criminality driving the increase in retail crime and our commitment to local stores and investing to make our communities safer places which can thrive and prosper remains a priority."