Six members of organised theft group involving minors arrested in Tbilisi, police chief

Tbilisi Police chief Vazha Siradze has announced the arrest of six members of an organised criminal group accused of stealing from grocery stores in Tbilisi and other regions and then selling the stolen goods to cooperating merchants.

Siradze on Thursday said the suspects included one leader and several associates who would covertly hand over unlawfully obtained items to retail outlets for resale. Two of those arrested are minors.

Police investigations, including covert operations, found that the ringleader systematically involved minors - including underage youths - in the criminal activities. He allegedly maintained contact with juvenile members of the group and coordinated their movements within Tbilisi and other regions, where they stole according to a pre-planned scheme.

The minors are accused of unlawfully taking large sums of money, food, alcoholic beverages and cigarettes from the targeted stores. The stolen goods were then reportedly handed over, at below-market prices, to a shopping centre on Tevdore Mgvdeli Street in Tbilisi under prior agreement. Police alleged that the leader of the group kept the majority of the proceeds from the sale of the stolen items.

Searches of the homes and shops of the arrested sellers yielded a substantial amount of cash believed to be proceeds from the sale of stolen products, as well as various goods, cigarettes and alcoholic beverages.

Offences carry up to ten years in prison.