A dedicated unit within the British national policing framework Opal, the intelligence unit focused on serious organised acquisitive offending, has achieved notable success in combating organised retail crime, resulting in 93 arrests.
The arrests have disrupted 28 organised crime groups and high-impact offenders cumulatively accountable for retail losses exceeding £4.06m.
The team has been operational since 1 May 2024.
The Pegasus Partnership funds the initiative, which is a collaborative effort involving the Home Office, law enforcement and the retail sector, with Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne at the helm.
The partnership enhances intelligence sharing to better understand the perpetrators of rising retail crime.
Opal's team processes referrals from police departments and retailers, assembling intelligence packages that chart offences nationwide and bolster investigations to apprehend the most damaging criminals.
These comprehensive packages are then relayed to the appropriate police force for further investigations and action against the culprits.
Up to mid-December 2024, the team has accepted 92 referrals affecting 62 businesses. They have successfully identified 228 offenders previously unknown to authorities, which has led to the reopening of closed cases and new investigative leads.
The team has also pinpointed 70 vehicles used in organised retail crimes and facilitated 28 property seizures, including 14 vehicles.
The arrests have yielded 32 court outcomes with cumulative prison sentences exceeding 19 years. Five individuals have been deported.
The forthcoming Opal Organised Retail Crime Threat Assessment will shed light on the extent of these crimes and detail the increasingly complex nature of groups involved in shoplifting.
This assessment is designed to enhance the understanding of both law enforcement and retailers, guiding them towards more effective countermeasures against this criminal trend.
National Police acquisitive crime lead Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman said: “We know that organised criminality has a significant impact on retail crime with offenders targeting multiple force areas and multiple retailers in the hope of going under the radar. Our centralised unit means we can build a detailed picture of offending across borders so there is quite literally nowhere for these individuals and groups to hide.
“By working closely with retailers and organisations, like Business Crime Reduction Partnerships, we’re able to support them in gathering intelligence and submitting referrals so we can be even more effective in identifying offenders. Our colleagues in local police forces then do a fantastic job in progressing the investigation, making arrests and bringing charges. It’s a real team effort and we look forward to seeing it progress even further over the next few months.”
In August 2024, the National Business Crime Centre (NBCC) announced the launch of a standardised witness statement designed to expedite retail crime investigations.
