A 'nappy gang' stripped supermarket shelves of high value items in a crime spree that mainly targeted Asda stores.
Shocking footage shows one of the thieves shamelessly throwing products into a B&M bag in his trolley while looking around to make sure other shoppers aren't looking.
Alin Mahai, 27, from Dingle, Merseyside, can also be seen covering up the contents of his trolley with other items, as he makes his way around the store.
He was a member of the six-strong gang that committed at least 81 separate offences at stores as far afield as Newcastle upon Tyne, Cardiff, Bridgend, Fleetwood and Alloa in Scotland.
On each occasion the crooks worked together as a team to distract the store’s security staff by intentionally activating the security alarms.
This enabled other members of the gang to escape the store with the stolen items without being spotted.
The gang specifically stole high value items such as printer cartridges, razor blades, nappies and cosmetics, which they would then sell on.
On Wednesday all six were jailed at Chester Crown Court for 24 months each after pleading guilty to conspiracy to steal.
They are Mahai, Nicolea Ilea, 36, from Birmingham, Stefan Florin, 31, who is in Risley Prison, Cheshire, Florin Costea, 51, Marius Meiosu, 25, and Gabriel Mocanu, 36, all from Oldham.
The court heard their crime spree began in April 2019 when Mahai and Ilie targeted the Asda Great Bridge Supercentre in Tipton, West Midlands.
Over the next four months Mocanu, Meiosu, Flori, and Costea joined the gang.
Their downfall began after they targeted the Asda Barons Quay store in Northwich in June 2019 and stole approximately £1,000 worth of items.
Following the theft, Asda’s asset protection team contacted Cheshire Police to report the incident, which they believed was part of a nationwide series.
Over the next two months detectives from the Northwich Beat Initiative Team worked closely with Asda’s Asset Protection team and the National Business Crime Centre.
Using CCTV footage, ANPR camera's and credit card data they were able to identify the gang members and link them to at least 80 other incidents across the country.
When officers raided an address in Oldham, they recovered a number of stolen items including perfume, alcohol, more than 50 razors and thousands of children’s nappies.
They also seized three cars which the gang had been using to commit their crimes.
Following their sentencing, Detective Constable Paul Matchett from Cheshire Police said to the Liverpool Echo : “It is clear that this gang travelled to the UK with the sole intention of committing crime.
“They set up their base in Oldham and from there they travelled to stores across the UK and stole hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of items.
“They believed that they could evade justice by spreading their crimes across the country in a bid to keep a low profile.
“While their plan worked initially, they underestimated the partnership work between the police and the business community and they are now behind bars facing the consequences of their actions.”
