Australian supermarket giant Coles has revealed that 71% of theft from its stores nationwide occurs in Victoria, and described the situation in the crime-ravaged state as “third world”.
The company, which has 1,800 stores around the country, said Victoria’s Labor government needed to bring in tougher laws similar to those in other states, and called on Victoria Police to do more.
Coles’ chief of operations and supply chain, Matt Swindells also blamed organised criminal gangs and a “lack of consequences” for theft, and said the issue was pushing up prices for all consumers.
“Of $100 spent in Coles the net profit after tax is about $2.50, so while we are a big business and the profits we generate are sizeable, the margins are too thin to wear the cost of losses to the extent they have been,” he told news.com.au.
“We can’t afford as a business to have organised gangs steal in high volume and on sell … it’s like we are in some third world place where there’s no law and order.
““We are repeating what we’ve been asking for over a year now …. We are asking for support from the police, from a retail task force, so we can nip this in the bud.”
Mr Swindells also told 3AW that the Victorian government’s failure to deter crime was the root of the problem.
“There is no consequence, and when I say no consequence, someone can come in and steal from a store, be arrested, be taken away and out on bail and back in the store again within hours,” he said.
“If that’s the outcome, for all the effort, nothing is going to change.”
In August Victoria Police arrested 19 people, predominantly Indian nationals on temporary, student or bridging visas, who were allegedly part of an organised retail theft syndicate that stole goods worth $10 million from supermarkets around Melbourne.
The alleged syndicate targeted major retailers, allegedly stealing items such as baby formula, medicines, vitamins, skincare products, electric toothbrushes and toiletries.
Police said at the time that retail theft was one of the fastest-growing crimes in Victoria and up 38% state-wide.
Header image: Left, an Indian immigrant member for an alleged retail theft ring is arrested in August. Right, alleged stolen goods (Victoria Police).
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