A gang of shoplifters who stole £130,000 worth of goods from Tesco stores across the UK have been caught after their brazen crimes were captured on CCTV.
The organised crime network was responsible for 86 supermarket thefts, spanning 13 police force areas.
Their tactics involved simply filling trolleys with goods - then walking out without paying.
PC Ben Marshall from Surrey Police, who went on to bust the gang, was initially tasked with solving what he thought would be a "simple" shoplifting case at a Tesco in Guildford.
"I was told originally by my sergeant that they were going to be an easy win because the people in the [CCTV] footage were quite clearly identifiable," Marshall, 26, told The Sunday Times.
Jason Raven (left) and James Mytum were each jailed for three years for stealing goods worth £94,500 and £72,000 respectively
SURREY POLICE
But he quickly realised there was "a bigger picture" as their tactics appeared well-practised.
Marshall then began an "intense" two-month investigation by examining police reports in Surrey to link the suspects to other crimes.
After the Guildford theft, similar incidents were reported in nearby Haslemere and Gatwick.
"They were going in and filling up trolleys and leaving. They didn't even make any attempts to hide their identity. These guys were clearly doing it as part of a streamlined operation," he said.
The gang targeted toilet roll, alcohol, nappies and cleaning products.
Marshall linked the suspects to ten shoplifting reports in Sussex before contacting Tesco's national security hub, which proved crucial to solving the case.
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PC Ben Marshall was initially tasked with solving what he thought would be a 'simple' shoplifting case at a Tesco in Guildford
"The reason why this case was possible, and was as successful as it was, was because of Tesco," he said.
The retailer handed over "intelligence packs" with screenshots and detailed notes which allowed police to review hours of CCTV footage in minutes.
Armed with thousands of CCTV clips, Marshall approached 11 police forces to identify the suspects.
Eventually, his attention turned to Essex, where all six gang members lived and at least two had previous convictions for theft.
In January this year, he wrote to all six suspects inviting them for voluntary interviews, initially keeping the scale of his investigation secret.
"I was sort of reaching out initially with a fishing net," Marshall explained.
The organised crime network was responsible for 86 supermarket thefts, spanning 13 police force areas (file photo)
PA
When the suspects realised the scale of evidence against them, all six pleaded guilty to conspiracy to shoplift.
Jason Raven, 50, and James Mytum, 41, were each jailed for three years for stealing goods worth £94,500 and £72,000 respectively.
Tania Patmore, Samantha Drum, Marlie Patmore and Nicola Patmore received suspended sentences for their roles in the theft operation.
The gang had targeted primarily Tesco stores, with a few thefts at Sainsbury's, Next and B&M.
Marshall credited his success to being allowed to work on the case full-time and combining modern technology with traditional methods.
"If we're saying it's not our responsibility, and so is the inspector in this area, and so is the inspector in that area, and if we don't take ownership of it and say we're doing it, then no one will," he said.
