Shoplifting gang filled secret room full of £50,000-worth of games consoles

A secret backroom in a London shop unearthed thousands of stolen phones and gaming consoles in what is the police’s largest ever crackdown on shoplifters.

More than 120 shops were raided across two days in the capital during Operation Zoridon after shoplifting offences rose to unprecedented levels this year.

One shop in Woolwich tried to stay ahead of police, carving out hidden compartments and closing off entrances to basements with wooden panels to stash their hoard.

But officers made their way in, and the not-so-secret room revealed 2,000 mobiles and other electronic devices. All of them are believed to have been stolen and some are thought to be counterfeit.

Another secret compartment contained around £50,000 worth of gaming consoles in what the police have described their biggest shoplifting bust yet.

In Bromley, a shop was selling stolen LEGO sets and beauty products, and when officers raised a related address they found £70,000 in case and a number of luxury watches.

An off-licence in Willesden had £1,500 worth of stolen Starbucks travel mugs, umbrellas from Waterstones and designer sunglasses.

Why are shoplifting figures so high?

Almost 90,000 incidents were recorded in London in the year leading up to March last year, which is a jump of 54% up from the year before.

Thieves target big high street stores and ‘steal to order’, which can include anything from gadgets to baby formula.

The items are then sold on to other stores, with the owners often knowingly purchasing stolen goods and selling them at discounted rates.

In the latest raids 32 people were arrested, including handling stolen goods, drug offences and immigration violations.

Nine of the stores have also been served closure notices.

But this is unlikely to deter shoplifters from any future heists.

Ex- London investigator Mike Neville told Metro: ‘There is no real consequence to shoplifting anymore.

‘Thieves are able to steal to order with little chance they’ll get caught because CCTV systems aren’t good enough.

‘There is no UK-wide database of footage either meaning they can move around the country easily enough.’

Tracing through invisible liquid

But the Met is deploying other high-tech tactics to track down stolen belongings.

SelectaDNA is a forensic marking system, used to identify goods stolen from major retailers.

It uses a unique DNA code to mark property and can be applied to items using sprays, with DNA registered to police.

This has helped strengthen the evidence case for officers to bring prosecutions, with the hope .

A dog trained to sniff out SelectaDNA markings also assisted officers as they searched properties.

Superintendent Luke Baldock said: ‘This operation sent a clear message to anyone profiting from stolen goods and contributing to rising prices for Londoners: if you buy or sell stolen items, your licence will be revoked and your premises shut down.

‘Shoplifting is not a victimless crime and the gangs involved are organised and have links to drugs and violence.

‘Rogue shopkeepers who trade in stolen goods are funding criminal activity and driving up costs for everyone.

‘They’re keeping thieves in business at the expense of hard-working, law-abiding retailers.’

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