Tens of thousands of pounds in suspected stolen goods have been recovered during a two-week retail crime crackdown by the Metropolitan Police, with 42 people arrested. Officers visited about 400 shops suspected of buying and reselling stolen items, and issued closure notices for 11 premises. Seized goods ranged from expensive cosmetics and electrical items to food products. In the Lewisham area, a licensing check at one shop found suspected stolen Tesco tinned mackerel for sale. Further searches during the same deployment uncovered a machete, along with suspected stolen passports and driving licences stored in a sweet tin. Two suspects were arrested for offences including handling stolen goods and possession of an offensive weapon. Elsewhere, a separate retail premises check in Clapham resulted in two arrests after officers recovered £1,000 worth of branded meat products from Sainsbury, Coop and Iceland. Police also seized two knives and a large quantity of Class B drugs. The Met said retailers and Trading Standards helped identify rogue businesses in the months leading up to the operation, and the crackdown also targeted car boot sales suspected of being used to sell stolen tools. The arrests are part of an ongoing police operation, with shop owners arrested and businesses closed down following the two-week deployment.