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Springvale theft boss ran massive baby formula shoplifting scheme

An out-of-work chef organised thieves to nick baby formula, making thousands selling it on his wife’s import-export Facebook shop.

A Springvale man ran a theft racket sending shoplifters to steal baby formula so he could flog it on Facebook.
A Springvale man ran a theft racket sending shoplifters to steal baby formula so he could flog it on Facebook.

A gang boss ran a theft racket sending shoplifters to steal tins of baby formula so he could flog it on Facebook, a court has heard.

Hung Bach acted like a modern-day Fagin, organising pairs of thieves to nick the in-demand ‘white gold’ product from supermarkets and shops across the southeast.

Then the Springvale 36-year-old would meet them at a designated pick-up point and pay a small amount per tin.

He would sell the gear on Facebook Marketplace or through his wife’s import and export shop, making thousands of dollars in profit.

Bach pleaded guilty to a swag of handling stolen goods charges at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

The court heard his band of thieves targeted Woolworths and Coles and chemists across the southeast during April and May this year.

Supermarkets and pharmacies in Springvale, Dandenong, Noble Park, Lynbrook, Hallam, Keysborough and Mt Waverley were hit during the two-month period.

As well as baby formula, Bach would also ask for electric toothbrushes and vitamins to be nicked.

But his devious dealings were being watched by detectives, who noted 11 instances where he collected the stolen goods in secluded Springvale streets.

Investigators believe there were many more times he did the same trick, but avoided being seen.

When officers raided his house they found 362 tins of baby formula, 40 electric toothbrushes, various bottles of vitamins and more than $1900 in cash.

He was arrested and bailed, but just like Oliver Twist, he wanted more.

Bach went back to his criminal enterprise a couple of months later with the same modus operandi targeting the same types of shops.

During September and October Pinewood, Springvale, Seaford and Chelsea stores were hit.

When he was caught again on October 29 his Keysborough lock-up was also searched, and another Aladdin’s Cave was uncovered.

This time police found 84 baby formula products, 170 electric toothbrushes and $5350 in cash.

He was arrested and remanded in custody.

His defence lawyer said the married father of two, who is also a chef, came to Australia from Vietnam on a student visa in 2015.

He said his cooking work had dried up due to COVID-19 so he turned to the baby formula market to make money.

Magistrate Julie O’Donnell said it was only his lack of priors and time already spent in custody that saved him from being handed a 12-month stretch behind bars.

“He has agents going out and stealing specific items for a specific purpose on numerous occasions,” Ms O’Donnell said.

“It is planned, calculated offending.

“It is very clever and organised; it was quite a scheme he had going there.”

Bach was jailed for 35 days, classed as time served, and released on a two-year community corrections order with 300 hours of unpaid work.

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Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/south-east/springvale-theft-boss-ran-massive-baby-formula-shoplifting-scheme/news-story/9edcb3a766a18d1d5b3bc43123f12441