London: The Metropolitan Police, under Operation Zoridon, have raided 120 shops suspected of selling stolen goods in their largest-ever operation targeting shoplifting.
The two-day blitz, involving more than 300 officers, led to 32 arrests and the seizure of thousands of items, including food, cosmetics, electrical devices, gaming consoles, and branded merchandise, worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Superintendent Luke Baldock stressed that, “Shoplifting is not a victimless crime, and the gangs involved are organised and have links to drugs and violence. Rogue shopkeepers who trade in stolen goods are funding criminal activity and driving up costs for everyone. They’re keeping thieves in business at the expense of hard-working, law-abiding retailers.”
Behind the scenes of the Met Police’s Operation Zoridon, the UK’s largest ever crackdown on organised shoplifting gangs.
If you shoplift or trade in stolen goods, you will be brought to justice ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/8feS7CQQDO
— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) October 21, 2025
In Woolwich, south-east London, seven people were arrested and approximately 2,000 phones were seized in one shop. Police body-worn footage of the Operation Zoridon showed officers entering the store, prying open an office door, and discovering large quantities of suspected stolen devices in cabinets.
A hidden basement room contained additional phones and other devices, while a secret compartment held around £50,000 worth of gaming consoles. Apple confirmed that some of the phones, accessories, and packaging were counterfeit.
In Willesden, north-west London, police footage revealed an off-licence selling razor blades, Starbucks travel cups, Waterstones umbrellas, and LEGO sets. Three people were arrested, and the shop received a closure order issued by the London Fire Brigade.
The Met Police emphasized collaboration with businesses to tackle prolific shoplifters across the capital. They have reportedly solved 92 percent more shoplifting cases this year.
Previous stakeouts, including operations in a Co-Op branch in Homerton High Street, north London, captured masked thieves on CCTV. In one incident, a criminal was tackled midair after jumping from a counter onto a stack of beer boxes.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood highlighted the broader community impact of shop theft, “Shop theft is a scourge that tears at the fabric of communities. Growing up with parents who owned a corner shop, I know first-hand that there is nothing ‘low-level’ about these crimes. This government is putting 3,000 more neighbourhood police on our streets to catch these criminals and bring them to justice.”
The Operation Zoridon underscores the Met Police’s commitment to disrupting organised retail crime and protecting law-abiding businesses across London.
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