A total of 11 people were arrested last Friday for their alleged role in multiple thefts as part of an organized crime ring.
On Monday, Plano police announced the March 17 arrests, noting that they were able to recover more than $15,000 in stolen goods, reported WFAA.
The targeted stores were part of major retail chains, including Burlington Coat Factory, Walmart, and Home Depot.
North Texas has been no stranger to organized theft operations. Recently, as reported by The Dallas Express, the FBI said an international gang targeting diamond and jewelry salesmen likely struck in Dallas in February.
Another organized theft group was operating in Lake Worth, where police busted two suspects with thousands of dollars worth of stolen scented candles. Last week’s arrests in Plano, however, recovered far more in stolen goods.
In two separate incidents, eight people were arrested for stealing items from Burlington Coat Factory. The suspects were allegedly caught with stolen merchandise from that store in their car.
According to Plano police, four of the eight suspects allegedly stole almost $500 worth of goods and had more than $3,000 worth of stolen stuff from other stores in their cars. The other four suspects had more than $10,000 worth of stolen merchandise recovered from their vehicles from different retail stores, reported WFAA.
Those eight suspects were charged with theft as part of an organized crime group.
Police said that three additional people were arrested for theft. One person for allegedly stealing $164.53 worth of items from the Home Depot on West Park Boulevard, and the other two suspects for allegedly stealing $452.60 from a Walmart Supercenter on Dallas Parkway. The two Walmart suspects were also charged with evasion on foot, according to WFAA.
The Dallas Express reached out to Plano police for additional information but did not hear back by the time of publication.
Meanwhile, in nearby Dallas, there was a sharp increase in reports of shoplifting last month, particularly in North Dallas in City Council Member Gay Donnell Willis’ District 13. As previously reported in The Dallas Express, her district saw a 117.4% year-over-year increase in shoplifting in February.