A new documentary has revealed the shocking measures shoplifters take to hoodwink security guards, including sewing bags into their skirts and stitching secret linings into their handbags to sneak goods out of stores.
Shoplifters: At War With The Law, which aired last night on Channel 5, followed the security team at West Orchards Shopping Centre in Coventry as they intercepted thieves who brazenly try to to snatch expensive goods using ‘innovative’ and sneaky methods.
Despite their crafty techniques, the security team used CCTV to catch shoplifters in the act and stopped a group of three women who had sewn bags into their skirts and dropped dozens of bottles of baby formula inside.
Shoplifters: At War With The Law follows the security team at West Orchards Shopping Centre in Coventry as they try to intercept thieves. Pictured: Three women were apprehended on suspicion of theft after they sewn a bag into their skirt lining
Another woman who had been caught stealing on camera showed an empty bag to security when she was apprehended, and told guards she had put the items including perfume back on the shelves.
But it was later shown she had sewn a hidden pocket at the bottom of her bag so that her loot would not be seen at first glance.
Viewers took to Twitter to express their shock at the shoppers’ techniques.
‘Watching Shoplifters At War With The Law. It’s making me so angry. Why so people think they can steal and get away with it scot-free? It’s disgusting,’ one wrote.
Others praised the quick wit and skill of the security teams.
‘I found it fascinating watching Shoplifters: At War With The Law on Channel 5 last night. It shows how hard our shopping centre security teams work. Well done West Orchards,’ another added.
Another anonymous woman was accused of theft. She showed a security guard her empty bag before later discovering the goods were hidden in the lining
People took to Twitter to express their shock at the shopper’s brazen activities after last night’s episode
Another security guard explained that these techniques are commonplace.
‘My normal that is. People I have to deal with day in day out being a retail security guard at a shopping centre’ she wrote.
Officer Lewis, who monitored the centre’s CCTV, explained in the documentary that it’s common that shoplifters ‘came equipped,’ meaning they have tools and techniques to de-tag items to avoid security alarms going off.
He added that some modify their clothes and accessories to help them sneak items away.
At the beginning of the episode, the security team was alerted to a group of three eastern European women in the centre.
They were asked to monitor their whereabouts after one of their shops believed they had taken items.
Officer were alerted to the group of eastern European women by CCTV footage and quickly caught up to them. They suspected they were hiding merchandise under their skirts
When the security guards reached the women, they noticed one was limping due to an apparent concealed bag under her skirt.
The security guards and two police community support officers apprehended the women, who claimed to not speak English.
The group denied any wrongdoing and were brought in for further questioning by the guards.
‘She’s got some kind of bag there, it’ll be attached to her skirt,’ explained officer Rob.
‘They think of innovative ways of hiding goods, and this time, their method did not work,’ he added.
One of the women who was hiding goods in her skirt is pictured in the shopping centre’s security room after being caught on CCTV
In the holding room, the three women were searched, and a bag was uncovered which was filled with baby formula.
‘I’ve seen this before,’ security guard Mo said, ‘when they have like a bib, folded it in half and then sewn both sides and then all they have to do is drop their stuff down.’
Clearly these women had come equipped to steal,’ Rob said. ‘So this escalates the crime.’
Later on in the episode, another woman was caught on CCTV taking bottles of perfume from shop shelves and loading them into her bag.
Later on in the episode, the team became suspicious of a couple after they caught the woman dropping bottles of perfume into her bag
The team quickly moved to apprehend her but she immediately opened her bag and showed them it was empty.
‘Give me a chance, I’m showing you my case,’ the woman pleaded.
‘I put everything back, honestly,’ she added. ‘I put them right back with the perfumes.
‘Officer, I’ve shown you my bag now don’t touch me please,’ she said, and lifted her hand up.
The woman swore she had put the items back but was lying and had sown a pocket at the bottom of her bag, which she used to conceal the goods
But the team was not convinced and tried to uncover where the woman put the bottles.
‘When we initially looked inside the bag, the bag was completely empty,’ officer Paul explained.
‘However, she was very reluctant to hand the bag over, which just screams ‘”There’s something wrong”.
‘I feel that there’s a lot more product in there than what you’re saying,’ he told the woman as the team escorted her and her partner to the centre’s holding office.
The woman eventually admitted that she had indeed hidden the goods in a pocket at the bottom of her bag.
The officers explained that people would go to great length to shoplift and get away undetected.
‘People hollowing out a bag, they’ll line it with foil, tape it all down, then they’ll sow the lining back in.
‘The theory is that foil negates the magnetic fields so it doesn’t actually sound the alarm,’ security guard Paul said.
He added this is why his team had to be extra vigilant to notice shoplifters as 8,000 people visit the shopping centre everyday.
Shoplifters: At War with the Law, Channel 5, Mondays, 9pm