An alleged crime racket involving a Footscray grocery and a gift shop was smashed in almost comical fashion on Friday.
Most of the nine people arrested turned up to the shops in the midst of police raids and with allegedly stolen goods in tow, unaware of what was unfolding, a police spokeswoman said.
The raids started at a grocer in Nicholson Street, Footscray, at 11am, when two Coburg residents, aged in their 60s, were arrested.
Investigators then searched the couple’s storage unit and, as police were there, the manager of a gift shop next door turned up with allegedly stolen goods, the spokeswoman said.
It prompted police to then search the gift shop, the shop’s owners storage unit and his car, where more items were found.
Another five people, aged between 29 and 36, then turned up to the gift shop, also bearing allegedly stolen goods, while police were still there.
By day’s end about $500,000 in stolen property had been seized and nine people are expected to be charged.
“Police recovered large volumes of retail items, such as make-up, vitamins, alcohol and other personal items, from predominantly major retailers,” Acting Superintendent Tony Long said in a statement. These were then allegedly being sold on to smaller retail outlets.
Tammy Mills, The Age
