CHICAGO (CBS) – Investigators recovered millions of dollars in stolen goods from storage units at two Chicago facilities, as part of a full-scale investigation into organized retail thefts.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said his Retail Organized Crime Task Force, working with Chicago Police and other law enforcement agencies, executed search warrants on eight storage units at two facilities, recovering tens of thousands of stolen goods, worth millions.
“Frequently, the criminal enterprises behind these crimes are linked to other crimes, such as drug trafficking and human trafficking. “
Said that there is a well organized secondary market.@cbschicago https://t.co/unXoHjMsy5
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“Organized theft in retail is about more than lost income and stolen products. Frequently, the criminal enterprises behind these crimes are linked to other crimes, such as drug trafficking and human trafficking. I am committed to identifying the perpetrators of this and other organized retail crimes in Illinois, â€said Raoul.
According to Raoul’s office, the units searched contained four semi-trailers of stolen goods; including clothing, cosmetics, furniture, food and electronics.
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Authorities still carried out a full inventory of the stolen goods, but estimated that they were worth millions of dollars.
The task force’s investigation is ongoing, according to Raoul.
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The announcement comes as CBS Chicago earlier this week reported a number of large-scale thefts from high-end stores, with companies concerned the incidents could scare shoppers away.