// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
Unmasking the gangs 'stealing millions' from UK shops
Leaders of the police unit say tens of thousands of pounds worth of stolen goods have been recovered
The BBC has been given special access to a police unit that says it has been disrupting organised crime gangs responsible for stealing millions of pounds worth of goods from shops across the UK.
The organised retail crime (ORC) team within Opal, a national police intelligence unit, was set up two years ago and works with retailers and local police forces to target criminals responsible for raids across multiple stores around Britain.
It was launched after a surge in shop theft that peaked in 2025 with more than half a million offences recorded in a year.
The Home Office said shoplifting offences fell last year and the charge rate rose.
Opal bosses say tens of thousands of pounds worth of stolen goods have been recovered.
They also say those convicted have been jailed for sentences totalling 118 years and 22 migrant criminals were deported as a result of their offences.
More than 250 arrests have been made and 84 operations have been carried out since the ORCs launch in 2024.
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