An 18-year-old woman has been arrested and charged in connection with the theft of iPhones worth more than £17,000 from the Apple store at Braehead Shopping Centre.
The high-value incidents took place on Sunday, 1 June and again on Wednesday, 9 July, targeting one of the centre’s busiest retailers. The arrest followed a detailed investigation led by local officers, with crucial support from Police Scotland’s Retail Crime Taskforce.
The woman was taken into custody on Friday, 11 July and is due to appear at Paisley Sheriff Court on Thursday, 2 October.
A 19-year-old man has also been arrested and charged in connection with the earlier offence on 1 June. In addition, a 42-year-old woman has been reported to the Procurator Fiscal in relation to the incident on 9 July. Enquiries into the incidents are still ongoing.
Detective Inspector Emma Wright, from the Retail Crime Taskforce, said:
“Both of these crimes resulted in valuable stock being stolen from the store, and taskforce officers have been supporting enquiries by local officers over the last month, which resulted in enforcement activity.
“The taskforce was created for this very purpose – to provide local officers with enhanced resources and assistance for tackling retail crimes.
“We want to send a very clear message that no part of the country should be considered an easy target. We will provide our assistance wherever it is required and work alongside divisional colleagues to bring offenders to justice.”
Chief Inspector Alex Marshall, Local Area Commander for Renfrewshire, added:
“Braehead is one of our area’s largest retail sites and the theft of thousands of pounds worth of goods has a huge impact on the overall confidence of the all the stores and their customers.
“We will continue to use all resources at our disposal, including the specialisms available with the Retail Crime Taskforce, to tackle this type of crime wherever it arises within Renfrewshire.”
As police continue their investigation, this case highlights the vital role of the Retail Crime Taskforce and the message that retail crime is not a victimless offence. Businesses, shoppers, and communities all feel the effects – and police say they are determined to bring offenders to justice.
Paisley Photographs 