Police have arrested five men over a conspiracy to steal “tonnes” of clothing from charity clothes banks to sell abroad and fund criminal activity.
Essex Police said items donated by members of the public were being taken from collection containers, particularly those in town and city centres where large quantities of clothes can be removed at once.
Officers from the force’s Proactive Money Laundering Team (PMLT) believe the group was selling the clothing overseas to finance further crimes or launder money to conceal their offending.
A dozen addresses in Basildon and Thurrock in Essex, as well as locations across London, were raided on Tuesday in connection with the scheme and an alleged Lithuanian organised crime group, police said.
The five men, all arrested on suspicion of theft and currently in custody, are a 46-year-old from Pitsea, a 38-year-old from South Ockendon, a 34-year-old and a 32-year-old from Dagenham in east London, and a 30-year-old from Purfleet.
During the raids, officers seized multiple mobile phones and large amounts of cash, including £10,000 from a vehicle and a further unconfirmed sum of more than £10,000 from a bedroom at one property.
Police said the money is believed to be linked to criminal activity.
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Detective Sergeant Mike Monkton, of the Proactive Money Laundering Team, said the scale of the alleged thefts was significant.
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“The scale of these thefts is huge – criminals are taking tonnes and tonnes of clothing from sites nationwide that were intended to help others or raise money for those in need,” he said.
“Instead, it was being used to line the pockets of criminals operating across Europe.”
The warrants, which took place simultaneously on Tuesday morning, “are a huge disruption to the operation”, Mr Monkton said.
They will “ultimately help us take criminal property off our streets, reduce crime in our neighbourhoods and send a clear message that there will be consequences for anyone committing these offences in our county”, he added.
