PHOENIX — Thousands of cans of baby formula, cloned food assistance cards and skimming devices were all seized after a 6-month investigation into organized retail theft, according to state and local officials.
In a news conference Thursday, Attorney General Kris Mayes said more than 2,700 individual victims lost more than $1.2 million in stolen SNAP benefits in the theft ring, and the following was seized:
- 3,200 cans of baby formula
- more than 1,200 cloned Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards
- skimming devices
- equipment used to manufacture fraudulent EBT cards
Mayes was joined by representatives from the Arizona Retailers Association, which includes Kroger, Walmart and Target, along with representatives from the Arizona Department of Economic Security, Gilbert Police Department and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“Those participating in organized retail theft are on notice that in Arizona, their organizations will be disrupted, they will be apprehended, and they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Mayes said. “Organized retail theft and fraud harms all of us, from the victims themselves to regular Arizonans facing increased prices that result from theft. I want to thank our state agency and law enforcement partners, as well as our retail partners, for their support and work on this investigation.”
Specific details about arrests and locations of the crimes were not released.
The investigation is ongoing, officials said.
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