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- Retail crime is ubiquitous.
- But some cases prove to be more eye-catching than others.
- From an airport iPad heist to a one-woman jewelry thief, here are some standout cases of retail crime.
Retail crime is on the rise.
In 2018, the National Retail Federation estimated that losses from organized retail crime were at "an all time high." The organization estimated that this form of crime costs the industry $777,877 per $1 billion in sales.
But some cases prove to be a bit more shocking than others.
Whether they involved sensational circumstances or a massive haul of millions of dollars, here are seven retail crimes that shook up the whole industry:
A couple was accused of robbing Safeway of $5 million.
Justin Sullivan/Getty
ABC reported that Richard Remington and Angela Evans were accused of nicking $5 million worth of goods from different Oregon Safeway stores in 2011. Together, the couple was reportedly seen stealing on camera 178 times.
Cops arrested the pair after a store loss-prevention officer placed a tracking device on their car, according to the Oregonian.
A Stop & Shop owner was charged with using his store to launder millions.
Business Insider/Jessica Tyler
Abduhl Sulaiman owned a Stop & Shop in Lexington, Kentucky, but in 2008 he was arrested on charges that he contributed to an illegal retail scheme.
Authorities concluded that Sulaiman also laundered money for a retail theft ring posing as a Kentucky business called Alpha Trading, according to the Lexington Herald Leader.
According to Retail Info Systems, Sulaiman laundered $60 million through his store.
Robbers made off with thousands of tablets at JFK.
Danny Moloshok/Invision for JAKKS/AP Images
Thieves reportedly made off with thousands of iPads using an airport forklift at John F. Kennedy Airport on November 12, 2012.
And it could have been an inside job. The New York Post reported that the FBI arrested a JFK employee after they learned he had allegedly made "suspicious inquiries to coworkers about the gadget shipment."
Complex reported that the heist scored robbers $1.9 million worth of iPad Minis.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
See Also:
- We compared Walmart to home-improvement giants Lowe’s and Home Depot and found one huge advantage to shopping at Walmart
- More than 6,100 stores are closing in 2019 as the retail apocalypse drags on — here’s the full list
- Jeff Bezos called for Amazon’s competitors to raise their minimum wage. Here’s how retail rivals like Walmart, Target, and Costco stack up on worker pay.
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Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Áine Cain)