Thieves trying to steal '£3,000 of high-value goods from Tesco' thwarted by covert investigators on their lunch break
3 October 2023, 13:56 | Updated: 3 October 2023, 14:00
Undercover officers swoop in on 'thieves' in Waltham Abbey
This is the moment a group of suspected shoplifters were thwarted by covert security officers who were on their lunch break.
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The gang of thieves, driving a black BMW, arrived at a branch of Tesco in Waltham Abbey, before walking in with a shopping trolley to allegedly steal a haul of high-value electrical goods.
Members of the group strode into the shop, filling their trolley with gadgets before trying to leave, a witness told LBC.
They only selected ‘high-value’ items - understood to be electrical goods worth around £3,000.
As they left, the group pushed a security guard and knocked over a pregnant woman, a source said.
But their getaway was thwarted by a group of undercover investigators who were on their lunch break nearby.
The group, who investigate and prosecute thefts when the police don’t have capacity to do so, were on a training day nearby, learning how to use handcuffs, when they took their lunch break - and the commotion began.
The dramatic video shows the suspected thieves loading up their car before bundling inside, but the five undercover investigators rush over shouting “open the car, open the car now.”
A passer-by lends a hand after spotting the commotion while walking in the car park with his dog.
A voice can be heard in the clip shouting: “Well done lads, well done lads.”
A security guard and Tesco worker then come over and try to open the car’s boot, with the thieves still wrestling with the investigators.
Eventually the group are dragged from the vehicle and police are called.
Police later arrived on the scene and arrested two of the men, aged 17 and 27, on suspicion of theft. They suspects had already been detained prior to officers’ arrival, Essex police said.
They have been released on conditional bail and have been banned from the Tesco store.
Detective Chief Inspector Alan Blakesley said: “We’re acutely aware of the impact theft has on our businesses and we work extremely hard, first and foremost, to respond to incidents when they happen and make arrests and, secondly, to ensure businesses are supported by our dedicated business crime team when they feel they would benefit from that independent advice.
“In this case, officers from our community policing team arrived quickly to make arrests and we thank all members of the public who reported the incident to us.”
A spokesman for Tesco said: “We are aware of an incident which occurred at our Waltham Abbey Superstore and we are assisting police with their inquiries.”
