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Thieves Swarm Luxury Malls, Driving Retail Crime to $100 Billion

Malls across the US have been ‘flash robbed’ by groups of about 20 to 30 suspects stealing retail merchandise.
The Nordstrom store at the Westfield Topanga mall.
The Nordstrom store at the Westfield Topanga mall. (Getty Images)
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It took just minutes for more than 20 thieves, clad in hoods and masks, to swarm the Nordstrom store in the Westfield Topanga shopping centre and make off with $300,000 of handbags and other luxury items. A security guard was blasted in the face with bear spray, according to the Los Angeles Police Department, which dubbed it a “flash rob.”

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Further Reading

The Organised Retail Crime Phenomenon, Explained

Reports of large-scale theft rings are driving US lawmakers to explore tough-on-crime policies. Data on whether there is a crime wave paints a more ambiguous picture. BoF unpacks the murky situation.

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