Five women, four trolleys, R6 500 taken in shoplifting spree
Group of women arrested after trying to shoplift four trolleys laden with goods from an uMhlanga retail store.
FIVE women with four trolleys laden with goods worth R 6 500 were arrested after attempting to shoplift from a busy uMhlanga retail store on Monday. The items ranged from frozen meat to detergents, to pantie liners, bug spray and baby diapers.
According to Lt Raymond Deokaran, spokesman for the Durban North SAPS shoplifting has spiked in the North Durban area. Since Monday, 14 cases have been opened targeting clothing, food, and in one case, bizarrely a tin of paint.
Among the cases were a number of arrests including that of a woman with an eight-month old baby.
According to police statistics, retailers nationally lose between R2-billion and R3billion through shoplifting every year.
“With the group of women, they were obviously counting on no one noticing them as they left the busy exit. However they were spotted by store security who detained them. The items were then rung through the till to ascertain the total value which added up to R6 500 worth of goods,” he explained.
“In the case of the woman with the eight-month old baby, when we fingerprinted her, we found that she was a serial offender. She was linked to seven other cases around Durban for the same offence. She has appeared in court and was remanded back into custody. The sad reality was her child was still breastfeeding and had to be taken away from her and put into the care of her grandmother,” he said.
Deokaran added he believed there was a syndicate operating.
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