- Title: U.K.: SECURITY OFFICER COMMENTS ON AUSTRALIAN SHOPLIFTING GANG CLAIMS.
- Date: 16th August 1968
- Summary: 1. GV INTERVIEWED SETED WITH MR. BATT (SILENT) 0.08 2. GV DITTO (SOF) 1.58 MR. BATT TALKS ABOUT GANG. TRANSCRIPT: INTERVIEWER: "THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A VERY FORMIDABLE GANG. JUST HOW WELL-ORGANISED ARE THEY?" MR. BATT: "THEY MUST BE EXTREMELY WELL-ORGANISED FOR THE GANG TO LAST SEVEN YEARS AND ALTHOUGH ONE OR TWO OF THEM HAVE BEEN CAUGHT, THE GANG IS A STRONG NOW, AS FAR AS I KNOW, AS EVER IT WAS." INTERVIEWER: "YOU SAY THEY ARE AN AUSTRALIAN GANG. CAN WE ASSUME THEN THE AUSTRALIANS MAKE EXTREMELY SKILFUL SHOPLIFTERS?" MR. BATT: "THEY ARE NOT ALL AUSTRALIAN NOW, ALTHOUGH THE HARD CORE IS. I BELIEVE, IN AUSTRALIA, THEY HAVE A BAD SHOPLIFTING PROBLEM. BUT WHY THEY PARTICULARLY COME OVER HERE I'M NOT SURE." INTERVIEWER: "WHAT SORT OF DO THESE AUSTRALIAN THIEVES GO FOR IN THIS COUNTRY?" MR. BATT: "HIGH VALUE MERCHANDISE MAINLY FROM THE DEPARTMENTAL STORES. CLOTHING, MALE AND FEMALE AND JEWELLERY....MIND YOU, PROFESSIONALS WILL THIEVE TO ORDER, THEY WILL THIEVE THE KIND, THE MAKE, THE STYLE, THE COLOUR THAT IS REQUIRED." INTERVIEWER: "HOW DO THEY DISPOSE OF IT?" MR. BATT: "THIS IS THE 64-THOUSAND DOLLAR QUESTION. IT'S ONE THING TO CATCH ONE OR TWO THIEVES OF A BIG WELL-ORGANISED GANG. THIS WILL, IN ITSELF, NOT BREAK THE GANG. BUT IF WE COULD STOP THEIR METHOD OF DISPOSAL OF THE GOODS, THIS WOULD PROBABLY BREAK THE GANG." INTERVIEWER: "AVE ANY ARRESTS BEEN MADE SO FAR?" MR. BATT: "TWO OR THREE THAT I KNOW OF. AND ITS KNOWN THAT ONE MAN IS TILL AWAITING TRIAL AT THE LONDON MAGISTRATES COURT, BUT HE'S BELIEVED TO HAVE MANAGED TO GO BACK TO AUSTRALIA." INTERVIEWER: "WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE IDENTITY OF THE MEN THAT HAVEN'T YET BEEN APPREHENDED?" MR. BATT: "I KNOW VERY LITTLE. I'M QUITE SURE THAT SCOTLAND YARD HAS A FILE ON THIS GANG, COMPLETE WITH PHOTOGRAPHS., BUT THAT, BY ITSELF, OF COURSE, IS NOT ENOUGH." Initials PK/VS/CR/BB Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 31st August 1968 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: LONDON, U.K.
- City:
- Country: United Kingdom
- Reuters ID: LVAC129EI9N2RTCIKJGVXO11P3Q4
- Story Text: A HIGHLY-ORGANISED AUSTRALIAN-DOMINATED GANG OF SHOPLIFTERS IS CLAIMED TO BE STEALING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF POUND WORTH OF GOODS FROM BRITISH STORES THE ORGANISATION IS SAID TO HAVE ABOUT 70 MEMBERS, INCLUDING SOME GIRLS. A CHIEF SECURITY OFFICER IN LONDON, MR. KENNETH BATT, TODAY (FRIDAY) COMMENTED ON THE GANG'S ACTIVITIES.
ACTIVITIES OF THE GANG WERE REVEALED ON WEDNESDAY AT A SEMINAR ATTENDED BY RETAIL EXECUTIVES AND SECURITY MEN FROM VARIOUS PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.
THE SEMINAR WAS TOLD THAT MEMBERS OF THE GANG WERE FLOWN TO BRITAIN FOR SPECIAL TRAINING IN SHOPLIFTING. THEY WERE ACTIVE IN LONDON AND PROVINCIAL CITIES, AND CONCENTRATED ON GOOD QUALITY ARTICLES.
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