Three men are due to appear before Newry Magistrates Court today charged in relation to the theft of high-value mobile phones and other electronic devices from stores in Newry, Belfast, Lisburn and Bangor. The thefts occurred on at least seven different occasions in September and October.
Items reported stolen include a laptop valued at £1,399, the latest iPhone 14 Pro Max, six other new mobile phones, £1,450 cash and the keys to an in-store cabinet.
A member of staff observed three men acting suspiciously in an electronics store in Newtownabbey on Monday afternoon, 17th October. The employee noticed that the men appeared to match a description circulated of suspected shoplifters and contacted the police.
The men left the store and made off in a BMW car, however, officers from the Police Service’s Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) Intercept Team stopped the men in the Sprucefield area and they were arrested on suspicion of a number of offenses including theft, attempted theft, going equipped for theft and burglary.
A 20-year-old man has been charged with five counts of theft, going equipped for theft, attempted theft, burglary of a non-dwelling premises and attempted burglary of a non-dwelling premises. A second 20-year-old man has also been charged with going equipped for theft.
A 19-year-old man was also charged with three counts of theft, burglary of a non-dwelling premises, attempted theft and going equipped for theft.
As is usual procedure, all charges will be reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service.
The charges have been made during a national week of action to support businesses and reduce business crime.
Urging retailers to report offenses to police and to reach out to their local neighborhood and crime prevention officers, Chief Superintendent Darrin Jones said: “These arrests are a good example of how reporting can lead to results. This eagle-eyed member of staff alerted police and these arrests were made.
“We know under reporting is typically an issue in all sectors of business crime. So we’d ask that business owners let us know if you have been a victim or you see something suspicious happening. Your report helps us target our resources, apprehend offenders and ultimately reduce crime and anti-social behavior.”
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