LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Organized retail crime is a growing and increasingly sophisticated threat impacting businesses and consumers across Arkansas and the nation, according to state officials and law enforcement leaders.
Authorities say many large-scale thefts are not random incidents, but coordinated operations carried out by organized crime rings, some with ties to international networks and drug cartels. The groups often target high-value, easily resold items from major retailers, using clearly defined roles that include planners, in-store thieves known as “boosters,” and intermediaries called “fencers,” who resell stolen merchandise online or through other channels.
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Attorney General Tim Griffin said organized retail crime costs businesses an estimated $70 billion to $100 billion annually nationwide, a cost often passed on to consumers through higher prices. The crimes can also lead to reduced store hours, job losses, or store closures, and deprive communities of sales tax revenue that funds public services.
Griffin said organized retail crime was not a major focus when he served as lieutenant governor in 2023, but it has since become a top priority. His office now has a full-time investigator dedicated to organized retail crime and participates in a multi-state partnership with Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama to disrupt criminal networks that operate across state lines…