FROM NY POST: A knife-wielding gang of shoplifters is terrorizing supermarkets across New York City, making off with hundreds of thousands of dollars in goods – and store owners gripe that cops are ignoring the rampage, The Post has learned.
The crew of five has hit dozens of stores since July, brazenly stuffing backpacks with pricey beef, salami and seafood – and flashing their blades at workers who dare try to block their exit before they speed off in getaway cars, store owners told The Post.
Grocers say they feel abandoned by law enforcement under Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. They say it’s pointless to call the authorities when the same offenders get freed after repeatedly being charged with low-level offenses – if at all.
“Every time they come in, they are stealing about $800 worth of Dominican salamis,” store owner Efrain Castro of Fine Fare told The Post. “These guys are quick. They hit hard and they empty out the case fast. They have a purpose because it’s a business for them.”
Grocers feel abandoned by law enforcement under Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, saying the authorities often free repeat offenders after they are charged with low-level offenses, if at all.
“It’s incredible that those guys have been able to get away with this for so long,” Samuel Collado, president of the National Supermarket Association, said. “We haven’t seen an organized crime group like this ever that is walking around freely as they do.”
Collado says more than 100 stores have been targeted by the gang, and that hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of product has been stolen.
Local grocers are now sharing information about the gang’s activities in a WhatsApp chat group.
READ MORE AT NY POST
