Eight shops in Mitcham, Balham, Wimbledon, Tooting, and a residential property in Cheam were raided on April 9 as police investigated reports of shops buying items such as food and alcohol – that had been stolen from major retailers – and selling them on lower prices.
Police were able to recover around £150,000 worth of stolen goods after marking 5,000 items with synthetic DNA.
Officers marked most commonly stolen items such as alcohol and chocolates with unique marks that can be traced back to the original store.
Several own-brand items for particular supermarkets were also found for sale in the shops, the Metropolitan Police said.
The have since been bailed pending further enquiries.
A further two men, both 48, were arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods in a separate incident on April 17, they were also bailed.
Searches were carried out at shops in Fernlea Road and Church Road in Mitcham, two London Road shops and a High Street shop in Tooting, and also in Kingston Road and Christchurch Road in Wimbledon.
A shop in Balham was also raided, along with a residential property in Sandy Lane, Cheam, and a barber’s shop in Tooting High Street.
“It also funds the drug trade and contributes to anti-social behaviour and violence.
“The local officers in my neighbourhood team have put in months of hard work alongside impacted businesses to trial new tactics to drive down shoplifting in the area and have delivered impressive results here.”
Enquiries are ongoing and anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 and speak to the South West Basic Command Unit about Operation Zoridon.
