Toothpaste, frozen prawns hot ticket items for supermarket thieves

Thieves are making off with shopping trolley loads of items and selling the goods to tobacconists and convenience stores – with demand high for Sensodyne toothpaste and bags of frozen prawns.

Retail thieves are stealing huge amounts of supermarket products and selling them to tobacconists and independent grocers. Picture: iStock

Recidivist retail thieves knocking off huge amounts of supermarket products are selling the goods to tobacconists and independent grocers amid a surge in thefts across the state.

Roughly 10 per cent of thieves are causing about 60 per cent of retail crime across Victoria as they continue to leave supermarkets with trolleys full of items without paying.

The Herald Sun has been told thieves will hand the goods to smaller retailers including tobacconists, Asian grocers and independent convenience stores in exchange for cash.

One of the thieves’ major sources of income relies on selling huge amounts of red meat stolen from supermarkets to dodgy restaurants, pubs and markets across Melbourne.

Confectionary items are also commonly stolen from Coles, Woolworths and Aldi before they are put on display in dodgy smoke shops.

But Sensodyne toothpaste has emerged as a key target for crooks who are selling the tubes to smaller convenience stores.

There has been a surge in thefts of frozen prawns. Picture: iStock

Bags of frozen prawns have also risen in popularity among thieves, one industry source said.

“Sensodyne hits (between) $500 to $1500 are common,” the source said.

“It’s about $10 a tube (at the supermarket) and they sell it three for $10.”

The latest crime data shows a 16 per cent increase in crimes committed in Victorian retail settings while general theft offences rose more than 18 per cent.

Thefts from shops spiked more than 32 per cent over the past 12 months, the data shows.

There were also 196 reported cases of handling, receiving or disposing of stolen goods in the past 12 months, representing a 192 per cent increase since 2018.

Sensodyne toothpaste is being sold for $10 for three tubes at some dodgy convenience stores.

The Herald Sun in January revealed vulnerable people were given ‘shopping lists’ from those higher up and are ordered to steal those items in exchange for cash or drugs.

Supermarket staff are almost powerless when it comes to intercepting a thief leaving the store with a full trolley meaning they are able to take what they please.

External agencies recruited by the major supermarkets have also deployed covert officers to monitor and track some of the city’s most prolific retail thieves.

That information is then passed on to police who can respond to make a swift arrest while obtaining crucial intelligence.

Victoria Police’s Operation Stand – established to combat retail crime in the CBD and Yarra – has already arrested dozens of the city’s most prolific retail thieves.

Since its inception, the dedicated team has seized more than $100,000 worth of stolen goods in just three months.

Originally published as Toothpaste, frozen prawns hot ticket items for supermarket thieves