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Lululemon store in Detroit. (Google maps photo)
Five women suspected of stealing more than $125,000 in merchandise from Metro Detroit Lululemon stores, were arrested Monday after exiting the Detroit outlet on Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit with about $13,000 in stolen clothes, the Michigan State Police said.
“This investigation is on going," State Police spokesman, Lt. Mike Shaw said. "While many may think retail fraud as a 'lower level' crime, these large scale retail thefts put both the public and store employees in danger as well increasing the price at the register for consumers.”
The probe into the group began after the Michigan State Police Fraud Investigation Section and Attorney General investigators received a tip of a crime ring that conducted several retail thefts from Lululemon stores in Metro Detroit area.
On Monday afternoon, state police detectives and Michigan Attorney General special agents conducted a surveillance at the Detroit Lululemon store on Woodward where they observed several suspects identified from prior thefts, enter the shop.
The women then exited the store carrying a large quantity of clothes, police said.
They were taken into custody and the $13,000 in clothing from the Detroit store was recovered.
