Five arrested in Essex and London over charity clothing bank thefts
The arrests follow a nationwide investigation into organised groups stealing donated clothes from charity bins to sell abroad and fund other crimes
Five men have been arrested across Essex and London after police targeted a suspected international conspiracy stealing from charity clothing banks. The operation on Tuesday 16 December focused on 12 addresses in Basildon, Thurrock and London linked to a Lithuanian organised crime group.
The men – aged 46 from Pitsea, 38 from South Ockendon, 34 and 32 from Dagenham, and 30 from Purfleet – are all held on suspicion of theft while enquiries continue. Police also seized multiple mobile phones and large amounts of cash, including £10,000 from a vehicle and an additional unconfirmed sum over £10,000 from a property.
Detective Sergeant Mike Monkton of the Proactive Money Laundering Team said:
“The scale of these thefts is huge..."
"...Criminals are taking tonnes and tonnes of clothing from sites nationwide that was intended to help others or raise money for those in need. Instead, it was being used to line the pockets of criminals operating across Europe.”
He added: “These warrants all taking place simultaneously this morning is a huge disruption to the operations and will ultimately help us take criminal property off our streets, crime out of our neighbourhoods and send a clear message to anyone committing these offences in our county that there will be consequences.”