Baby formula: NSW police seize $100k worth of goods, two men arrested

Two men have been arrested and more than $100,000 worth of goods, including 350 tins, have been seized after NSW police smashed an alleged baby formula racket.

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A baby formula racket where thieves acted like “a plague of locusts” has been crushed by NSW police with two men arrested and more than $100,000 worth of goods seized.

Following a month-long investigation, police arrested two men yesterday at separate locations in Sydney’s west.

The first man, aged 53, was taken into custody from a shopping centre car park in Auburn around 11.45am on Thursday.

Following the arrest, police searched a Greystanes home where they seized 350 tins of baby formula, 42 bottles of vitamins and 47 tubs of menthol – all believed to be stolen.

The baby formula tins were seized from a home and storage facility by NSW Police.

The seized goods were worth more than $100,000.

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Police will allege that up to three people would enter a retail stores across Sydney, including Coles, Woolworths and IGA, and clear the shelves of all baby formulas before walking away with the trolley filled with the products.

Areas targeted included stores in the northern beaches, Sutherland Shire and the inner west.

Around 2pm on Thursday, police raided a storage facility in Homebush where they arrested a second man, aged 40, before allegedly uncovering more stolen items.

Officers seized another 1,000 tins of baby formula, 1,000 bottles of vitamins, 300 tubs of paw paw cream and 100 electric toothbrushes.

In total, police say they discovered more than $100,000 worth of goods.

Only a few hours later officers searched an Auburn apartment where they seized clothing.

Two men have been arrested over the alleged racket.

Police called the alleged theft “selfish.”

Both men were questioned at Auburn Police Station with the 53-year-old charged with stealing and the 40-year-old man charged with dealing with the proceeds of crime.

NSW Police Detective inspector Andrew Evans said while most of the times the thieves weren’t caught, if staff did approach them they would “become aggressive and escape”.

“They were like a plague of locusts in that they would enter the stores and rip the items off the shelf and place them in the trolley and leave immediately,” he said.

“Often after the thieves attended (the stores), there would be no products left.

“The fact that normal mums and dads weren’t having access to formula was a concern for us.”

Det Evans said this isn’t the first they’ve investigated these types of offences and that it isn’t “uncommon” for thieves to distribute expensive formulas.

“Items stolen are passed on by the thieves to a distributor and sold legitimately in stores,” he said.

At least three other people are expected to be charged in regards to the retail theft.