Organized shoplifting rings wreak havoc in Brooklyn Heights, merchants say
Stores beg NYPD, Brooklyn DA to take action
Why are Tide Pods, batteries, toothpaste and upscale facial cleansers disappearing from the shelves of drug stores and groceries in Brooklyn Heights and Downtown Brooklyn?
Local store owners say the main reason is that shoplifting is rampant, and easily resold items like these are targeted by professional thieves. These thieves, also known as “boosters,” are employed in an underground economy that is feeding off legitimate businesses.
“If someone is homeless, I give them something to eat,” Ivan Arguello, co-owner of Key Food with Enrico Palazio, told the Brooklyn Eagle. “Most of these people are not homeless. This is an organized operation.”