Hanover Police Logo
A “professional shoplifter” was arrested in Hanover after allegedly stealing merchandise from a pharmacy and then trying to flee from police.
Hanover Police say they were called to a theft in progress at a pharmacy on 10th Street in the southern Grey County town around 2 p.m. this past Thursday, Feb. 5. Police say a male suspect was confronted by store staff about not paying for items, and then fled the store on foot and got into a vehicle parked nearby.
“The suspect vehicle passed several vehicles at a high rate of speed. Within minutes, it was located by West Grey Police Service officers on patrol who attempted a traffic stop,” Hanover Police say in a release. “The vehicle failed to stop and fled at a high rate of speed.”
Police ended their pursuit for safety reasons, but say the suspect vehicle eventually lost control and crashed into a ditch near Allan Park, north of Grey Road 4.
A 30-year-old man was arrested and charged by West Grey Police for offences related to the police pursuit. He was then transferred into the custody of Hanover Police, who charged him with several other offences related to the alleged pharmacy theft.
Hanover Police say they recovered about $4,000 of merchandise stolen from the pharmacy and another undisclosed location. An electronic device used to tamper with anti-theft alarms from retail stores was also seized.
“The 30-year-old male suspect, a Romanian National, currently residing in Richmond Hill faces additional charges related to the Hanover investigation of theft under $5,000, possession of stolen property and unlawful use of a computer,” Hanover Police say in a release.
Hanover Police say they’re also working to establish if the accused is link to a Romanian crime group of professional shoplifters in the Greater Toronto Area that has been targeting communities across Ontario.
This alleged theft came just a couple days after Hanover Police put out a wanted notice about a man they were trying to locate in a string of cosmetics thefts from pharmacies in the area. They say a professional ring of organized shoplifters based out of the GTA has been responsible for more stealing more than $500,000 in merchandise from franchised pharmacies across Ontario since last month.