Police report Tide laundry detergent increasingly being stolen, sold for drugs
Tide theft on the rise
Posted: 03/13/2012
You would expect the newest iPad to be the latest target among thieves, but police departments across the United States are seeing an unlikely household product become a hot item.
The New York Post is reporting the theft of Tide laundry detergent is becoming such a huge problem that some cities are setting up special task forces to stop it.
Retailer CVS is also taking precautions, according to ABC News.
"In a few markets, we've placed security devices on Tide bottles that will trigger an alarm if a shoplifter tries to remove it from the store without paying," said a CVS spokesman in the article.
In St. Paul, Minn., police said 52-year-old Paul Costanzo stole $25,000 worth of Tide over a 15-month period. Surveillance video of the thefts lead to his arrest.
It's also reportedly being traded for drugs according to investigators in Maryland. Detective Harrison Sprague of the Prince George's County, Maryland Police Department told the New York Post that the Proctor and Gamble detergent is becoming known as "liquid gold" among officers.
"We sent in an informant to buy drugs," said Sprague in the article. "The dealer said, 'I don't have drugs, but I could sell you 15 bottles of Tide.'"
To read the full New York Post article, go to: http://on.wews.com/AlcHLA
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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