Cops and retail watchdogs report birth of new group of professional shoplifters that are establishing reign of terror
The Day of Action led to over 35 offences detected
A shoplifting gang has been busted after a wave of retail thefts in Scottish towns and cities.
Shocking images of terrifying weapons seized from professional shoplifters have been released after they were caught by police during a thieving spree.
Now police and retail chiefs have warned that the shoplifting OCGs (organised crime gangs) are behind a surge in thefts in supermarkets and shops.
And the shopliftings gangs are also linked to other crimes such as drug dealing and people trafficking.
Stephanie Karte, from the Retailers Against Crime (RAC) group, said a joint operation with Police Scotland had uncovered the shoplifting gang in Aberdeen on Tuesday.
She warned that gang members were armed with knives and also had “dealer quantities” of illegal drugs in their possession.
A deadly knife was seized during crackdown
Stephanie told the Daily Record: “Officers worked with a big supermarket retailer to join the dots and confirm that those responsible appear to be operating as part of a travelling retail Organised Crime Group committing high-value theft.”
Stephanie added: “Plain clothed officers were proactively patrolling the city centre. They recognised a male who was known in relation to violent retail crime in the company of another male who was carrying a bag for life.
”These individuals were stopped, searched and the knives found within the bag for life concealed beneath some curtains. Both were arrested and various other crimes identified.”
The Retailers Against Crime group will now assist police to try and identify other shoplifting gang members caught on CCTV during the day of action.
Stephanie said: “Once the extent of the criminality is confirmed, this will be briefed to RAC to assist with identitifying those responsible.”
The organised shoplifting gang came to light during a crackdown in Aberdeen by Police Scotland working with the Retailers Against Crime group.
On one day alone, police detected 35 crimes and served 10 warrants on shoplifters. Police are now also following leads on human trafficking connected to organised shoplifting offences.
Officers also seized a “dealer quantity” of controlled drugs that are being peddled by the same gangs. Officers from Police Scotland, including the Retail Crime Task Force, worked alongside local retailers and security staff throughout the day.
Stephanie Karte – National Operations Manager at Retailers Against Crime
Natasa Wilson, Intelligence Co-ordinator at RAC, added: “These Days of Action are incredibly important because they show what can be achieved when intelligence is shared and acted upon quickly. The planning, communication and teamwork that go into them make a real difference to tackling retail crime and supporting the businesses and communities affected.”
DCI Jackie Knight from Police Scotland’s Retail Crime Taskforce said: “The Retail Crime Taskforce is committed to working with key stakeholders to prevent and reduce the impact of retail crime on individuals, businesses and our communities, bringing offenders to justice.
“Positive collaborative working is vital to achieve this, and grateful for all those involved in this coordinated activity.”
The Day of Action on Tuesday involved a team of plain-clothed and uniformed police officers spending the day trying to track prolific retail crime offenders.
The RAC team used intelligence from their crime intel system, SentrySIS, which allows users to share real-time information about thefts and other incidents.
Staff from Aberdeen retailers gathered for an intelligence briefing explaining how the day would unfold and how to best utilise the added police presence to get suspected thieves arrested.
Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You’ll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you’re on mobile, select ‘Join Community’ and you’re in!
If you’re on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click ‘Join Community’.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose ‘exit group’.
If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
The initiative is set to be rolled out across Scotland in the fight against retail crime, violence against shop workers and antisocial behaviour.
Retailers Against Crime is a national retail crime partnership, established in 1997, which works to detect and prevent crime by sharing information on local and travelling offenders with members and partners throughout the UK.
Police Scotland figures earlier this year showed officers were called to 44,730 retail crimes in 2024/25, a 16 per cent increase from 38,645 the previous year.
The figures were up by 57 per cent since a decade ago to the highest total since 1971. Earlier this year, research suggested that shoplifting and vandalism cost Scots businesses at least £420million last year.
The Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF) said 99.8 per cent of convenience store bosses believe theft of their stock has risen in the past year. More than nine out of every ten stores report that violence against staff occurs at least once a month.