Thefts by organised gangs on the rise: US retailers

New York

ORGANISED crime rings are increasingly targeting US retailers, leading to thefts of everything from gift cards and mobile phones to teeth-whitening strips.

In a survey released by the National Retail Federation on Tuesday, 97 per cent of retailers said they'd been the victim of organised crime in the past year, the highest since the survey began in 2004. About 85 per cent of those companies said the problem has gotten worse in the past year.