California Highway Patrol officers arrested four people and recovered $300,000 in Lego sets stolen from Target, and other retailers.
A task force arrested four people in Los Angeles and Orange Counties.
The suspects were part of an organized crime ring that stole valued Lego sets from stores like Target, Home Depot and Lowe’s. The suspects sold the stolen toys to people or groups who purchase stolen products and then re-sell them to the public.
Target’s forensics scientists helped police track down the Lego thieves.
Most organized thieves avoid Target because the retailer has top-rated forensic services laboratories that even the local police contract services with.
Target’s high-tech security cameras see everything customers touch in the store, so fingerprints can be lifted.
License plate readers capture every car that enters the parking lot.
Target’s state-of-art facial recognition system links customers to their credit cards and license plates. So, Target has a customer’s name, address, license plate, and face in their databases.
“Most people don’t know what we do. We’re a small team with a specialized skill set,” said Target’s lab director Rick Lautenbach. “People usually find out by word-of-mouth about all the cool things we’re able to do.”
