Officers tackle the thieves terrorising supermarkets and shops, with organised international crime groups stealing eye-watering amounts in increasingly industrial, brazen and sophisticated ways.
in Lancashire, armed police units are scrambled in a manhunt for a violent shoplifter who has stabbed a security guard with a 19cm blade, while Preston police's dedicated shop-theft task force is targeting a violent and prolific shoplifter who has smashed bottles of alcohol, accosted staff and stolen £900 worth of beauty products.
Detectives in Cheshire investigate a prolific international criminal gang responsible for stealing £160,000 worth of premium goods from Asda over 81 raids, distracting security as they hit stores across the country. Police use ANPR to trace their vehicles and close in on the group. In Preston, a man is held for shop theft, possession of a weapon and affray, with police racing to secure evidence before the 24-hour deadline, while Operation Vulture launches a day of action to disrupt and arrest the most wanted shop thieves.
In Operation Even, police must piece together incriminating clips to determine the roles played by suspects, preparing a dawn raid to catch them by surprise. In Burnley, Sgt Victoria mobilises her team to go after prolific suspects, including two brothers whose campaign of shoplifting is out of control.
PC Elijah must collate intelligence from 23 police forces across the country, scanning 700 clips of CCTV and putting the allegations to two people suspected of being tied to UK-wide shop thefts. In Lancashire, police arrest a notorious shoplifter suspected of multiple thefts and a robbery, with only 24 hours before he must either be charged or released.
