Melbourne police arrest 19 people over $10m medicine, baby formula theft syndicate
The alleged syndicate members were mostly Indian nationals on temporary, student and bridging visas, Victoria Police said in a statement.
'We will allege this syndicate are not only stealing for themselves, but they are part of a co-ordinated criminal enterprise profiting from stolen goods,' eastern region Acting Inspector Rachele Ciavarella said.
The thieves were allegedly targeting items such as baby formula, medicines, vitamins, skincare products, electric toothbrushes and toiletries.
Footage of some of the arrests shows one man has been detained while carrying a backpack full of toothpaste boxes and honey.
Shopping bags seized when another man was arrested contained at least five tins of baby formula.
Police announced on Friday that 19 people had been arrested and more arrests were likely.
In a statement, Victoria Police highlight seven men as 'main arrests'.
These men are aged between 21 and 43, three of them are on student visas and one is on a bridging visa.
These men face allegations of stealing items worth $37,000 to $136,000.
The seven men have 'no fixed address' and are being held in custody until various court appearances in the coming weeks. Asked by NewsWire to clarify whether they men are homeless, a police spokeswoman said they were likely living in student accommodation, the details of which were not able to be shared.
Investigators have also highlighted a 54-year-old woman from Springvale, who has been bailed and faces 30 charges of handling stolen goods.
This woman is an alleged 'receiver', a police spokesperson said, who was selling the allegedly stolen items.
'This has been one of the most significant operations we've undertaken in recent times to target organised retail theft,' Acting Inspector Ciavarella said.
'By working with major retailers, we've been able to identify alleged offenders quickly and build a strong intelligence picture, allowing us to target the right people at the right time.
'Our message is simple: if you target our retail sector, we will target you. We will continue to work with our partners to protect businesses and hold offenders to account.'
Police data shows retail theft has increased 38 per cent across Victoria in the past year.
Acting Inspector Ciavarella is expected to provide further details about the allegations later on Friday.
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