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Gloucester Twp. police target new 'organized crime' - shoplifting

Some traveled from as far as the Bronx. Others made their way to the Gloucester Premium Outlets from Philadelphia or Atlantic City.

Some traveled from as far as the Bronx. Others made their way to the Gloucester Premium Outlets from Philadelphia or Atlantic City.

But instead of shopping, they were stealing, police said Tuesday in announcing the arrests of six people over the last week.

"This is more than going in and stealing clothes out of a Target," said Gloucester Township Police Capt. Anthony Minosse. "This is organized crime."

The six were using sophisticated equipment and devices to help them walk out with expensive shoes and designer clothes, Minosse said.

Shoplifting has always been a police issue, he said, part and parcel of having stores. But since the high-end outlet mall opened in August, the nature of the crime has changed.

"We're learning ourselves," Minosse said. "We're still kind of new at this."

The township created a new position - retail detective - to build both expertise and relationships with the merchants.

"Some people call shoplifting a low-level offense," he said, "but this is organized."

As part of the township's ongoing investigation into retail theft, undercover officers spotted four men trying to use multiple credit and gift cards to buy high-end merchandise at the outlets about 2 p.m. April 26.

When cards were denied, the men pulled out other cards until one worked, police said.

When detectives approached, one of the men tried to hide the cards in mulch, police said.

The four men, from New York City, traveled to Gloucester Township in a car equipped with a laptop computer and an encrypted USB drive used to load stolen credit-card account numbers onto the cards, police said.

"The sophistication of the technology of these people is incredible," Minosse said. "They get your credit-card numbers. They have blank cards and they were just downloading the information on them. Just swipe the card and your information is on there."

The suspects had $6,000 worth of merchandise purchased from different stores with the fraudulent cards, police said. "There were lots of sneakers, $200 apiece," Minosse said. "High-end clothes."

On Sunday, just before 3 p.m., township police were called to the Watch Station store at the mall to investigate reports of three women shoplifting. They caught two outside the store; the third fled.

Police found $2,500 worth of merchandise and a booster bag in their vehicle, Minosse said. A booster bag, he said, is lined with a metallic substance that prevents the stores' antitheft devices from activating.

Arrested on April 26 and charged with theft by deception, receiving stolen property, and conspiracy were Harold Luis Del Orbe, 28; Wadys Luis Del Orbe, 34; Socrates Ramirez, 32; and Aneruy Morena, 31, all from the Bronx.

Arrested and charged with shoplifting at the Gloucester Premium Outlets on May 1 were Anniya Ross, 34, and Sabrina Dillard, 42, both of Philadelphia.

jvonbergen@phillynews.com

215-854-2769 @JaneVonBergen

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