STORE WARS

Knives are seized during crime sprees, Task force targets violent group members

- MARK McGIVERN

A SHOPLIFTING gang wielding knives has been busted after a wave of retail thefts in Scottish towns and cities.

Shocking images of terrifying seized weapons have been released after they were caught by police during a thieving spree.

Now, police and retail chiefs have warned that shoplifting organised crime gangs (OCGs) are behind a surge in thefts in supermarkets and shops.

And the shoplifting gangs are also linked to other crimes like 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.

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.