Forty-two people have been arrested and 11 shops issued with closure notices after a major Metropolitan Police crackdown on businesses suspected of buying and reselling stolen goods across London. Officers carried out the two-week operation, known as Operation Zoridon, visiting around 400 shops and seizing tens of thousands of pounds worth of suspected stolen merchandise. The haul included mobile phones, electrical equipment, cosmetics and food. Police said organised shoplifters are increasingly stealing products to order, with some offenders working from lists provided by those planning to resell the goods. The Met worked with Trading Standards and major retailers, using intelligence gathered over several months to identify businesses suspected of handling stolen stock. One of the largest recoveries happened in Hounslow on Monday, 12 October, when officers executed a warrant at a shop alongside Trading Standards. Police recovered about 300 suspected stolen mobile phones and £15,000 in cash, and a three-month closure order was granted for the premises. Also in Hounslow, officers targeted car boot sales suspected of selling stolen tools. Three people were arrested and police seized five pallets of suspected stolen tools and counterfeit Dyson products. For the first time, the Met issued warning notices to car boot sale organisers, advising that those who knowingly facilitate illegal trading could face criminal liability. In Brixton, a warrant was executed at a mobile phone shop on Monday, 19 October. Dozens of suspected stolen mobile phones and more than £5,000 in cash were recovered, and three men were arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods and money laundering. In Lewisham, licensing inspections at a shop on Monday, 19 October, found tins of mackerel suspected to have been stolen from Tesco. Further searches uncovered a machete, along with suspected stolen passports and driving licences reportedly concealed inside a sweet tin. Two suspects were arrested for offences including handling stolen goods and possession of an offensive weapon. Two further arrests followed inspections at retail premises in Clapham, where officers recovered around £1,000 worth of branded meat products linked to Sainsbury’s, the Co-op and Iceland, as well as two knives and a substantial quantity of suspected Class B drugs. In Southall, a licensing check on Monday, 12 October, resulted in the recovery of Boots suncream and Marks and Spencer wine. A woman was arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods. The Met said some items were marked using SelectaDNA, a forensic system that applies a unique traceable code. Officers used ultraviolet light and specialist detection equipment to identify the markings, and a specially trained detection dog was also deployed during the operation. Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes said the operation was designed to target the demand for stolen merchandise rather than focusing only on theft. London Mayor Sadiq Khan welcomed the enforcement activity, pointing to harm to businesses and staff ahead of Christmas. The Met reported that recorded shoplifting offences in London fell by 3.7% in 2025, and that positive outcomes in shoplifting investigations had doubled in boroughs using its newer reporting system.