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First Posted: 12/29/2014 EDWARDSVILLE &#8212; Police said a man swiped multiple cans of baby formula from shelves in Price Chopper, marking a growing theft trend of the newborn milk nutrient.
The theft on Saturday was the fifth time baby formula has been stolen from the supermarket in the West Side Mall complex, police said.
Police said the most recent theft was estimated to be $400 worth of baby formula.
Surveillance cameras recorded a white man, facial beard, wearing a hooded jacket with the hood over his head, grabbing a grocery cart at the entrance. The suspect walked to the infant/baby supply aisle where he loaded the cart with cans of baby formula before leaving the store without paying for the merchandise.
Across the Wyoming Valley, Wilkes-Barre Township police reported a month ago that cans of Similac baby formula were stolen from Wegmans on Highland Park Boulevard.
Township police also reported an Asian man on Nov. 24 purchased $100 worth of Similac with four counterfeit coupons at Wegmans. The same man may be responsible for theft of baby formula cans at Wegmans in recent weeks, police said.
The theft of baby formula appears to be widespread, earning the moniker &#8220;Operation Got Milk,&#8221; to a criminal investigation in Florida earlier this year.
The Orange County Sheriff&#8217;s Department, Florida, on July 3 broke up a baby-formula theft ring that netted millions of dollars and 22 shoplifters. Four box department stores in Central Florida were targeted by shoplifters known as &#8220;boosters&#8221; for two years causing each retailer to lost $1 million to $2 million each year, Florida authorities reported.
Also in Florida, four people were sentenced to prison on federal charges they had stolen 44 pallets of Similac valued at $550,000 from a distribution center.
Retail prices of Similac, Enfamil and other brands sell for $20 to $45 per can. Many retailers have secured baby formula in glass enclosed cases or placed the items behind cashiers, according to the National Retail Federation based in Washington, D.C.
Stolen cans are often fenced and sold under the table or on internet auction sites, authorities said.
A search of &#8220;baby formula&#8221; on a poplar internet auction site produced more than 4,200 results.
Authorities also said baby formula in its powdered form is used as a cutting agent in cocaine and heroin.
The Safe Doses Act, passed by Congress in November 2012, makes it a federal offense to steal, possess, transport, and resell stolen baby formula. A conviction could result in up to three years in prison.
Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, was a co-sponsor of the bill.