Romanian shoplifter jailed after stealing over £100k worth of products from Boots

A Romanian woman has received a two-year prison sentence after carrying out a systematic shoplifting campaign.

Gabriella Stan, 25, who resided in Dagenham, east London, stole cosmetics worth at least £100,000 from Boots pharmacies.

She targeted stores across multiple regions, including London, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, the Thames Valley, Surrey, Somerset and South Wales, during a nine-month spree last year.

The court heard Boots estimated its actual losses at £143,220 from thefts committed between May and December, though Judge Stephen Tomlinson opted to sentence based on the lower £100,000 valuation.

Stan has additionally been prohibited from entering any Boots premises in Britain until 2031.

Court footage revealed Stan's brazen approach, showing her clearing shelves of cosmetics into a bag during one incident at a Richmond branch in south-west London where she took products valued at £5,000.

Prosecutor Babtunde Alaei described her as a "persistent offender" who operated with a consistent method.

"She enters Boots stores with at least one, but more frequently more, females. High-value make-up and beauty items are targeted. They are placed in the bag before being removed from the store," he told Southwark Crown Court.

The group employed a deliberate strategy in which some members distracted security staff while others filled their bags with premium beauty products.

The investigation that brought Stan to justice was conducted by Operation Opal, the retailer's dedicated investigation unit, which collaborated with eight police forces to link her to 50 distinct offences.

At Southwark Crown Court, Stan pleaded guilty to 14 theft charges and asked Judge Stephen Tomlinson to consider an additional 36 offences when determining her sentence.

During sentencing, the judge said: "In each instance, you stole high-value products from branches of Boots chemists.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

• Investigation launched after 30,000 tonnes of rubbish dumped at protected site - 'Sickening!'
• Fraudster who tried to steal £1m jailed after more than two years on the run
• Met Police investigating link between drive-by shooting and stabbing in Brixton

They added: "Your offending was always committed with accomplices, which provided a distraction."

He noted that on one recent occasion, she had travelled as far as South Wales before being caught.

Stan will serve half her sentence before release on licence.

Defence barrister Dhanes Charme painted a picture of a vulnerable individual, telling the court: "This is someone who in effect carried out the orders of others. She cannot write her name, she cannot read or write."

Stan broke down in tears in the dock as her lawyer explained that her husband had failed to visit since her arrest and was believed to have "abandoned" her.

She required a Romanian interpreter throughout the proceedings.

Chief Inspector Rav Pathania, who leads the Metropolitan Police's retail crime efforts, highlighted progress in tackling such offences.

He said: "Tackling shoplifting is a top priority for the Met and we solved nearly twice as many cases last year while arresting almost 50 per cent more suspects."

Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter