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Subject:
From:
Judy Ritchie <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 16 Jan 2003 09:40:58 -0800
Content-Type:
text/plain
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When the TV says say that buying illegal drugs supports terrorism,
perhaps
they should also say that making and marketing formula supports illegal
(drug)
activity also.
Judy Ritchie

http://www.nbc5.com/news/1571112/detail.html

http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2003/0111/local/stories/15local.htm


Medford police arrested four illegal aliens, allegedly members of a
shoplifting group that steals baby formula, razors and ink cartridges
By ANITA BURKE
Mail Tribune 
Medford police have arrested an alleged band of professional shoplifters
who steal infant formula and sell it at flea markets in large U.S.
cities and in developing countries. 
Police recovered 577 cans of formula, valued at $6,400. 
Security employees at the Talent Wal-Mart store spotted the formula
thieves Thursday and contacted police and security at other area stores.
Police and store security officials tracked the suspected thieves from
store to store around the Rogue Valley. 
Police eventually stopped the suspects’ white minivan for a traffic
infraction and discovered the vehicle was loaded with 285 cans of
powdered formula. 
"We opened the back end and cans just came spilling out," Medford police
Detective Sue Campbell said. 
Four people in the van were arrested on charges of first-degree theft
and of being illegal aliens. Because the four, who are from Honduras,
lacked proper identification, police called the U.S. Immigration and
Naturalization Service, which helped translate and filed the immigration
charges. 
Those arrested are Merlin Rodiver Sabillon, 37; Prospero Milton
Lopez-Rios, 30; Elim Castellanos-Pineda, 26; and Ana Patricia Rodriguez,
19. All remain lodged in the Jackson County Jail without bail. Police
also charged Sabillon with first-degree theft by receiving because he
rented a storage unit where police believe the group planned to box up
the formula and send it to people who would arrange its sale. 
Darrin DeRoule, Wal-Mart’s district loss-prevention manager who oversees
security at Southern Oregon and Northern California stores, said
retailers know professional shoplifters often target infant formula.
They also were aware of a well-organized group of shoplifters traveling
up and down Interstate 5. 
"This group, their job is to steal as much as they can get of whatever
organizers want, then ship it to those supporters," DeRoule said. "They
are very successful, and they don’t get caught very often." 
Other items the group targets include inkjet printer cartridges and
Gillette Mach 3 razors. 
An alert loss-prevention employee, who didn’t want to be identified, at
Wal-Mart in Talent spotted the group she thought looked like
professional shoplifters Thursday at about 11:30 a.m. When she followed
them, they abandoned the things they had collected and left the store,
but she got their license plate number and a description of their
vehicle. She called police and notified other area stores. 
Officials trailed the group as they hit grocery and discount stores
throughout the valley, visiting some stores more than once. Security
employees and police relayed the group’s location via cell phone and
police radio until officers stopped the van for a traffic violation at
about 4:30 p.m. at Bear Creek Plaza. Campbell then swooped in and made
the arrests. 
Using information found in the van, police got a warrant to search a
storage unit at U-haul at 2410 North Pacific Highway. They found 292
cans of powdered formula there and collected evidence that might help
officials track down others in the theft ring. 

"This is linked with a nationwide criminal conspiracy," said Medford
police Lt. Mike Moran. He said police in Florida recently raided a
warehouse filled with stolen formula headed to Latin America. 
He praised the cooperation of police and private security employees,
noting that without Wal-Mart’s awareness of organized formula thefts,
police couldn’t have reacted quickly enough to nab the elusive suspects.

"The ring works up and down I-5," he said. "There was a group through
here in August and we got several reports of formula thefts, but we
didn’t know what to make of it. We thought it might be drug-related." 
Investigators also are analyzing security video from several stores and
polling area retailers to double check how much formula is missing. 
A warning to parents of formula-fed babies: Supplies throughout the
Rogue Valley are depleted, with almost all stores reporting some formula
missing and a few stores Friday reporting their entire formula inventory
wiped out, police said. 
Reach reporter Anita Burke at 776-4459, or e-mail
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