A timely call from a witness to West Shore RCMP was a key factor in the recent arrest of a 50-year-old woman and a 58-year-old man suspected of shoplifting about $1,000 worth of goods from Walmart in Langford.
Police were told that the two were pushing a shopping cart full of unpaid-for items toward a vehicle. Officers arrived and arrested the pair, recovering the goods.
Both are facing multiple counts of theft under $5,000.
Police had already been investigating four reports of significant shoplifting at the store in January, February and March, involving hundreds of dollars each time.
Officers also executed a search warrant on the vehicle and found just over two ounces of drugs, believed to be a combination of cocaine and methamphetamine.
The woman and man arrested were released with a May court date.
They may also face drug charges, police said.
Cpl. Nancy Saggar said it’s important that anyone who sees suspicious or criminal activity call police and report it right away. “Do not attempt to stop the suspect [or suspects] on your own, as this could be dangerous.”
A six-week crackdown on shoplifting at West Shore big-box stores and major grocery outlets in November and December resulted in 27 arrests and the recovery of thousands of dollars worth of stolen goods.
There were 514 reports of shoplifting under $5,000 last year in the West Shore area, up from 400 in 2022.
A similar blitz by Victoria police from Nov. 27 to Dec. 5 led to 109 arrests and the recovery of more than $29,000 in stolen goods.
Four people were arrested several times during the police operation.
