In recent weeks, spectacular raids of up to 80 robbers have been organized, forcing luxury store managers to tighten their security.
They steal in just a few minutes “Thousands of dollars in merchandise”, relates the Wall Street Journal. On November 22, fourteen masked individuals stormed a Louis Vuitton store in Chicago, leaving with their arms laden with bags, “For a total of $ 120,000 [plus de 100 000 euros]”, relayed for his part USA Today. The robbery occurred during the week of Black Friday, a major sales operation intended to encourage shopping in the run-up to the holidays.
Only a few days earlier, another raid had been carried out in California on a Nordstrom store – an American chain of ready-to-wear, jewelry and perfumes – by a group of about 80 robbers. Surrealist images, relayed on Twitter by Al-Arabiya English, show 25 cars blocking the street to allow looters to load the stolen goods.
“I saw maybe 50 to 80 people with ski masks, crowbars, a few weapons, looting the Nordstrom store”, says Brett Barrette, witness of the raid, in the video of the Wall Street Journal.
Video of 47oTbsLEG-o
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So why is there lately “A peak in the number of robberies” in the USA ? The economic daily recalls that during the year 2020 “Nearly three quarters of traders” claimed to have observed an increase in organized crime. “And many of them felt that the pandemic had had an impact”, specifies the title.
Ben Dugan, Organized Crime Watchdog for the US Pharmacy and Cosmetics Company CVS Health, explains that the health crisis linked to Covid-19 has changed the way Americans consume:
Everyone was shopping online, which created a colossal increase in demand. Criminal organizations have redoubled their efforts to meet this demand. ”
Indeed, details the specialist, these organizations can attack “No less than 15 to 20 stores per day”, before reselling the stolen products on various online platforms. No need for receivers to specify their name or even their banking information.
Faced with the increase in thefts, businesses are seeking by all means to strengthen their security, “In particular with the approach of the end of year celebrations”, underlines Ben Dugan. Some put their products for example “Locked up”, or equip them “Chips GPS” to be able to trace them, list the Wall Street Journal.
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