A MAKEUP store was closed after police found more than $1 million in stolen products, the district attorney said.
Two people were arrested after the police raid led to the closure of Rehana’s Cosmetics in New York City.
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On Wednesday, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office announced the arrest and shared a photo of the shocking scene.
Mountains of beauty products were found, including medicine, vitamins, clothing, toiletries and more, and authorities allege they were stolen from retailers including Macy’s and CVS.
District Attorney Alvin Bragg said the local perfume and makeup store was a known destination for stolen items.
Police officers filled 450 cardboard boxes with the items after visiting the store and two warehouses associated with the store owners.
read more about store closures
Bragg said all of the products are worth more than $1 million.
“Retail theft is a scourge that affects our local businesses and puts the safety of employees and customers at risk,” Bragg said.
“We must use every tool in our toolbox to address the root causes of theft, and a critical part of that is proactive, upstream investigations into those who profit.”
Bibi Rehana Khan, 54, and Aaron Khan, 40, were arrested for operating a fencing racket, police said.
A fencer is a mover who helps facilitate the sale of stolen goods.
According to Bragg, taking down fencers is key to stopping retail theft.
“In addition to disrupting fencing networks, we will continue to target the small number of repeat offenders who are conducting a significant amount of retail thefts and ensure appropriate accountability,” Bragg said.
Theft has been on the rise across the country since 2020, and retailers and law enforcement are teaming up to curb the $90 billion shoplifting crisis.
Anti-theft measures implemented by retailers
Retailers in the US and Canada have implemented strategies designed to combat theft. The US Sun has compiled a list of measures that have been implemented in stores.
- Lock items in cabinets.
- Safety stakes.
- Security cameras.
- Signs warning about the impact of theft.
- Receipt scanners.
- Receipt checks.
- Carts with locking technology
Stores across the county abruptly closed after they failed to recover from robberies and other brazen crimes.
Next month, a CVS location in Kansas City, Missouri, will close, and the manager said “theft and rent” were the main issues causing the closure.
The shocking news comes after CVS CEO Karen Lynch told CBS News that some locations are having to move products behind locked cages to prevent theft.
“Organized retail theft is a huge problem for us,” she said in March.
“They’re coming in and emptying the shelves and then reselling them.”
Lynch acknowledged that anti-theft measures hurt the shopping experience, but said the company has no choice.
There’s another iconic store that closed abruptly after the area saw a series of worrying crimes.
And locals are debating why a Kroger was closed in a major city.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
