"Major fencing operation" in Conn. uncovered and police seize truckloads of stolen retail merchandise estimated to be worth $100,000 Police are investigating the theft of truckloads of home-improvement equipment from area Home Depot and Target stores. The stolen goods are estimated to be worth $100,000. Investigators from the Branford Police Department's detective division have been working with members of the East Haven police force for several months on an investigation of the thefts, which Branford police called a "major fencing operation" in a press release Monday. "We have been working in partnership with Home Depot and Target to track merchandise that has been stolen from their stores and fenced in a number of illegal operations," said Branford Detective Lt. William Carroll. (Source courant.com) (Source nbcconnecticut.com)

Teeth-whitening stripes are flying off the counters in Indiana and being stripped from store shelves. And police are noticing. A spokesperson for CVS told Eyewitness News that teeth whitening stripes are among the top shoplifting targets in the retail industry, commonly stolen by organized retail crime rings for resale. (Source wthr.com)

Two couples in San Antonio used their children to hit Outlet Malls. Four adults and four children were involved in an organized retail theft spree at Round Rock and San Marcos Premium Outlets, the group even worked Sea World San Antonio. It is believed that the adults would place the merchandise inside the children’s backpack and then tell them to walk out of the store; the children were ages 2 to 11 years old. A total of $6700 worth of merchandise was stolen. (Source statesman.com)