Met Police Arrest 42 in London Stolen Goods Crackdown
The Metropolitan Police visited about 400 shops, market stalls and car boot sales in a London operation that led to 42 arrests and 11 shop closure orders…
London’s high streets and resale markets were the focus of a major police operation. The Metropolitan Police visited about 400 shops, market stalls and car boot sales, making 42 arrests and issuing 11 closure orders for shops as officers targeted the trade in stolen goods.
The operation also led to seizures across the city, from suspected stolen tools in Hounslow to food products found in shops in Lewisham, Clapham and Southall. Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes said about 100 prolific shoplifters were responsible for 4,000 offences across London, and police were pursuing the businesses and criminal networks that profit from theft.
“We’re going up the food chain,” Jukes said, describing the Met’s approach to the crackdown.
Inside Met’s biggest stolen goods operation
BBC London accompanied officers during a raid on a phone shop on Electric Avenue in Brixton. Three men were arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods. Police said the raid followed months of investigation after reports that stolen phones were being brought to the shop and sold on.
Officers detained people inside and checked phones on display against police records. Within minutes, they identified several stolen devices. Insp Martis Jones said officers decided to seize all the phones for checks at a police station rather than examine every device at the roadside.
“It was not proportionate to go through every device at the street side,” Jones said.
The Brixton search formed part of dozens of raids across London. In Hounslow, officers seized five pallets of suspected stolen tools and counterfeit Dyson products. Searches elsewhere also uncovered cash, drugs, weapons and suspected stolen identity documents.
The range of goods found shows why police are focusing on resale channels, not only people suspected of shoplifting. When stolen products move through shops and markets, legitimate retailers can face competition from sellers who have not paid for the goods. Jukes said businesses were suffering from theft, and that some businesses receiving stolen goods were selling them on.
“So it matters. It matters to businesses, it matters to people’s sense of safety in London,” he said.
Warnings for car boot sale organisers
The Met said it had issued warning notices to car boot sale organisers for the first time. The notices make clear that organisers could face criminal liability if they knowingly facilitate or ignore sales of stolen, counterfeit or illicit goods.
Police said the operation was not aimed at small businesses. Its stated focus was sellers of stolen goods who undercut legitimate retailers. Jukes pointed to shops that residents might suspect of dealing in illicit goods, including a phone shop that “doesn’t look quite right” or a convenience store with prices that seem too good to be true.
The force is also working with retailers to mark products commonly targeted by thieves using SelectaDNA. The forensic marking solution leaves a traceable code visible under UV light, which police say can help link recovered property to the place it was stolen from.
“It’s like chemical DNA that we can identify,” Jukes said. He said the trace could help police identify businesses receiving stolen property and selling it on.
The Met’s operation produced 42 arrests and 11 closure orders for shops.
Source: bbc.co.uk
