Met Police Arrests 42 and Seizes Stolen Goods Worth Tens of Thousands in Retail Crime Blitz

The Metropolitan Police announced on 22 October 2026 the results of a two-week crackdown on the resale of stolen goods, in which officers visited approximately 400 shops across London suspected of buying and reselling stolen merchandise. The operation resulted in 42 arrests and closure notices for 11 premises. Seized goods ranged from cosmetics and electronics to branded food products. In Hounslow, officers recovered 300 suspected stolen mobile phones and £15,000 in cash, leading to two arrests and a three-month store closure order, plus five pallets of suspected stolen tools in a separate warrant. In Clapham, officers recovered £1,000 worth of branded supermarket meat products, two knives and a quantity of Class B drugs. The Met used SelectaDNA, a forensic marking technology that tags items with a UV-traceable code, allowing investigators to link recovered goods directly to the stores from which they were stolen. Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes said the operation targeted every stage of the criminal chain. Mayor Sadiq Khan noted the Met had doubled positive outcomes for shoplifting investigations, resulting in 1,800 additional arrests compared with the previous year.