Customers love Legos. Coloured plastic bricks are a gold mine for criminals

Amongst Lego followers, a gaggle made up primarily of kids, youngsters and grownup collectors, there are additionally a couple of impatient characters, for fully inappropriate causes, he writes CNN.

Lego merchandise, particularly the costliest units, which vary from greater than $100 to $1,000 or extra, are the goal of theft, each by particular person thieves and by bigger organized retail crime networks, which go to the units that sit on retailer cabinets as a result of they will take. good revenue on resale, each in authorized and unlawful channels.

Miguel Zuniga, who operates a Lego Bricks & Minifigs franchise retailer in Lumita, Los Angeles County, continues to be going through housebreaking fees on June 18.

The Lego theft occurred round 5am on Tuesday.

“I used to be sleeping and the ADT safety system referred to as me. Then my spouse acquired a name. I went straight to the cameras and noticed that we have been robbed,” Zuniga advised CNN.

He arrived at his retailer inside 10 minutes, however the thieves have been gone—with about $5,000 to $7,000 value of Legos, he estimates.

Retail crime consultants advised CNN that stolen Lego units are straightforward to resell, are normally onerous to search out and fetch near their authentic retail worth if they’re in mint situation and unused.

Even used units in good situation can fetch as much as 50% off their authentic worth.

In latest months, thieves have stolen Lego in a number of states.

Earlier this month, police in California arrested two individuals in reference to a shoplifting ring that allegedly stole 1000’s of Lego toys from a number of Southern California retailers, in response to CNN affiliate KABC.

LAPD investigators recovered greater than 2,800 bins of Lego toys with a retail worth starting from $20 to greater than $1,000 every, in response to a police assertion cited within the report.

In Philadelphia, police have recorded a number of thefts of Lego units in latest months from retailers reminiscent of Barnes & Noble and Goal, with stolen units value wherever from $250 to as much as $1,000 every.

Goal advised CNN it had no data to share in regards to the Lego thefts from its shops. Barnes & Noble didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

And north of the border, in Richmond, British Columbia, police seized a cargo of greater than 1,000 stolen toys in March. Among the many stolen items have been greater than $150,000 value of Lego units and different plush toys.

Among the many most stolen items

Though onerous knowledge is difficult to come back by, consultants stated Lego units are persistently among the many high 10 stolen gadgets, together with designer denims, purses, designer footwear, Olay skincare merchandise and merchandise Apple.

“Lego is exclusive. The model is consistently updating its choices, all the time on development with popular culture connections and particular version units,” stated Learn Hayes, a criminologist on the College of Florida and director of the Name Prevention Analysis Council, whose members a ‘ together with Walmart, Goal, Residence Depot and Hole.

Hayes advised CNN that his crew works with most retailers that promote Lego merchandise, in addition to Legoland theme parks. “The demand is all the time there.”

Consequently, there’s not solely a marketplace for stolen Lego merchandise, but additionally a rising counterfeit market, particularly on-line.

Casey Slaughter, a captain with the Wichita, Kansas police division who heads the property crimes bureau, is aware of Lego crimes properly.

“We see Lego toys as probably the most regularly stolen gadgets in our space,” Slaughter advised CNN. “Any retailer that sells the model is prone to Lego theft, however Now we have a couple of particular second-hand shops which are particular to Lego which have appeared as resellers. They’re focused”.

Lego thieves make straightforward cash, he stated. “It is tough to hint the place they have been stolen from,” he stated.

Between January 8, 2024 and Could 7, 2024, Wichita police investigated 19 Lego thefts, in response to knowledge supplied by the police division to CNN. The thefts included units based mostly on the movies Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Again to the Future, the information confirmed.

When reached for remark, Lego directed CNN to on-line sources on its web site to teach customers about methods to spot pretend Lego shops on-line and pretend Lego merchandise.

In California, a number of Bricks & Minifigs shops have been robbed since April.

“That is in all probability our fourth or fifth scene dealing particularly with Lego. It occurs shortly, wherever from 30 seconds to a minute,” stated Capt. Calvin Mah of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Division’s main crimes bureau in an interview with CNN, referring to the theft on the Zuniga retailer.

“Trying on the surveillance pictures, we might see that they have been concentrating on particular Lego units. They knew precisely what they have been on the lookout for. They needed the high-quality, high-value, uncommon or collectible units,” he stated.

Zuniga turned emotional when he spoke in regards to the theft to CNN.

After cleansing out her retailer on the day of the theft, Zuniga went residence to bathe.

“After I got here again, I despatched a bat sign to the group to come back and help us on this time of hardship,” he stated. Clients got here, some even donating their Lego units. He purchased Lego units on sale on the native Goal to fill the empty cabinets.

“At 9 o’clock within the morning, the primary buyer to come back in was a 71-year-old man who had constructed among the most costly Lego units,” Zuniga stated, his voice cracking as he shouted. he our native legend. He appeared in tears.”