Los Angeles Detectives Recover More Than $4 Million in Stolen Retail Merchandise

In two separate busts, law enforcement recovered items intended to be sold at outlets such as Nordstrom, Macy’s, Target, and others.

Los Angeles Sheriffs Department (LASD) deputies conduct police work in Lancaster, Calif., on July 10, 2024. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Detectives in Los Angeles seized more than $4 million in stolen merchandise and large amounts of cash in a bust linked to organized retail theft, officials announced on Thursday. Nine suspects were arrested.

The Los Angeles Sheriff Department’s Major Crimes Bureau’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force served search warrants at nine locations, including three retail stores accused of reselling the stolen merchandise.

In videos posted by the sheriff’s department on social media, law enforcement can be seen placing products into trash bags and moving boxes, and then loading them onto a cargo truck from several retail locations, including one called Big Apple. The stolen merchandise included NyQuil, Claritin, Cortisone, and more—some of which were still bearing stickers indicating they were to be sold at CVS with a number to call if found for sale elsewhere.

Other locations where the merchandise was seized include QuickMart LA, where mountains of clothing were seen sprawled on counters. Another location, 6th and LA Wholesale Plaza, was also highlighted. Video gaming machines for gambling, as well as diapers, were among the products seized by law enforcement during the course of the raids.

Some of the products had been stolen directly from businesses in West Hollywood, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department said in the social media post. The department’s West Hollywood Station’s Crime Impact Team assisted with the search warrant.

In a separate bust made on Wednesday, the LAPD’s Rampart Burglary detectives and Rampart Vice served a search warrant at a store located at 6th Street and Alvarado Street, which is situated across the street from MacArthur Park in L.A.’s Westlake neighborhood.

Police estimate that approximately $300,000 worth of stolen merchandise from retailers including CVS, Walgreens, Ross, TJ Maxx, and Target were recovered in this raid. Police needed a U-Haul truck to transport the goods. Police arrested an individual working at the store for receiving the stolen property. The LAPD’s Rampart Division serves communities west of Downtown.

Pictures show officers putting the merchandise into the U-Haul on a rare rainy night in Los Angeles. The items from Wednesday’s seizure, which were stored on shelves in a small oblong room, include Cetaphil, wine, plastic and aluminum travel cups, shoes, baby powder, skin and hair care products, perfume, antibiotics, and more. At least one item still had an anti-theft tag attached.

In September 2023, the Organized Retail Crime Task Force partnered with retailers to crack down on organized retail crime. Those partners include Ulta, Bath and Body Works, Nordstrom, Macy’s, T.J. Maxx, Nike, Walgreens, Coach, Tory Burch, Victoria’s Secret, Burlington, NEX, Target, and CVS.

The Epoch Times has reached out to the law enforcement agencies involved, numerous stores said to be partnered with law enforcement, and the stores accused of selling the stolen merchandise, but received no reply by publication.