Police bust 400 London shops and ‘rogue’ car boot sales handing ‘shopping lists’ to thieves

The Met had arrested 42 people and seized up to £100,000 in suspected stolen goods in busts on ‘rogue’ shops across London.

Officers raided 400 shops suspected of selling stolen goods including iPhones, in a two-week operation codenamed Zoridon.

Cosmetics and food were also among the items being sold by rogue businesses with car boot sales also emerging as a market for stolen goods.

Some allegedly bought stolen items from shoplifters or phone thieves who have been plundering devices across the capital.

Officers arrested 42 people and closure orders were issued for 11 shops. Police seized 300 phones and £15,000 in cash in one phone store in Hounslow, West London.

The Met plotted the raids alongside trading standards officers and legitimate retailers fed up with losing business to those doing stolen goods at a lower price.

Prolific shoplifters are stealing to order from major high street retailers, targeting specific products requested by those buying and reselling stolen goods.

These ‘shopping lists’ help fuel the organised criminal supply chain, the Met said.

Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes, who joined a raid on a phone shop in Brixton, said: ‘Honest retailers have been clear that they want action against the minority of rogue businesses that fuel retail crime, undercut legitimate traders and damage confidence in our high streets.

‘This Met operation has done exactly that, targeting those who create a market for stolen goods and profit from criminality.’

Among other items seized by police were drugs and stolen passports and id’s. A machete was also found.

Jukes added: ‘Over the last two weeks, Met officers have targeted every stage of the criminal chain, from prolific shoplifters stealing to order through to the shop owners buying and reselling stolen goods. Tens of thousands of pounds worth of suspected stolen goods have been seized, shop owners arrested and businesses closed down.

‘Those results send a clear message: “if you profit from retail crime, you will be arrested”.

‘Working alongside partners such as retailers and Trading Standards, we will use every power available to disrupt this criminality, protect honest businesses and make London’s high streets safer. ‘

The operation also targeted car boot sales suspected of being used to sell stolen tools.

Activity in Hounslow led to three arrests, with officers seizing five pallets of suspected stolen tools as well as counterfeit Dyson products. The Met has also issued warning notices to car boot sale organisers saying they face prosecution if they knowingly allow the sale of stolen goods.

Across London in 2025, shoplifting fell by 3.7 per cent, around 3,500 fewer offences, while positive outcomes for shoplifting investigations doubled, according to police figures.

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