Operation Zoridon: SelectaDNA Marks 23,050 Items to Crack Down on Stolen-Goods Trade

Operation Zoridon: SelectaDNA Marks 23,050 Items to Crack Down on Stolen-Goods Trade 

SelectaDNA has supported the Metropolitan Police Service in a major two-week, pan-London retail crime crackdown that led to 42 arrests, closure orders for 11 shops and the seizure of tens of thousands of pounds worth of suspected stolen goods. 

During Phase 3 of Operation Zoridon in October 2026, Met officers visited around 400 shops suspected of buying and reselling stolen goods. The operation followed months of joint work by the Met, retailers and Trading Standards to identify businesses suspected of fuelling the stolen-goods market. 

Targeting London’s stolen-goods trade 

The crackdown targeted every stage of the criminal chain, from prolific shoplifters stealing to order to businesses suspected of buying and reselling stolen goods. Intelligence indicates that thieves are being directed towards specific products through “shopping lists”, helping to supply an organised criminal market. 

Activity also extended to car boot sales suspected of being used to sell stolen tools. In Hounslow, three people were arrested and officers seized five pallets of suspected stolen tools alongside counterfeit Dyson products. The Met also issued warning notices to car boot sale organisers for the first time, highlighting potential criminal liability where the sale of stolen, counterfeit or illicit goods is knowingly facilitated or ignored. 

Elsewhere, a Hounslow warrant recovered £15,000 in cash and 300 suspected stolen mobile phones, leading to two arrests and a three-month closure order. In Brixton, officers seized dozens of suspected stolen phones and more than £5,000 in cash, with three arrests for suspected handling of stolen goods and money laundering. 

Further activity included two arrests in Lewisham, where officers recovered suspected stolen food products, a machete and suspected stolen identity documents; two arrests in Clapham, where £1,000 worth of branded meat products, two knives and a large quantity of Class B drugs were recovered; and one arrest in Southall after suspected stolen suncream and wine were found. 

SelectaDNA forensic marking supports Operation Zoridon 

Retailers identified the products most frequently targeted by thieves, which were then protected using SelectaDNA forensic marking solutions. The technology leaves a unique traceable code that can be identified under UV light, enabling officers to link recovered goods to the stores from which they were stolen. The SelectaDNA search dog also supported officers during the operation. 

Phase 3 of Operation Zoridon saw 23,050 retail items marked with SelectaDNA. Participating national retailers represented five retail categories: 

Phase 3 builds on earlier activity. A borough-level pilot in south-west London saw more than 5,000 items marked, 15 arrests and more than £150,000 of stolen stock recovered. The operation then expanded across London, with 32 arrests and nine shop closure notices. 

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Police, retailers and SelectaDNA working together 

Collaboration between the Met, retailers, Trading Standards and technology partners remains central to Operation Zoridon, combining industry intelligence, targeted enforcement and forensic marking to disrupt the onward handling and resale of stolen goods. 

Operation Zoridon has already been recognised nationally. The partnership between the Met and SelectaDNA won Innovative Project of the Year at the 2026 BSIA British Security Awards, and earlier phases of the operation are listed as best practice in the College of Policing’s practice bank. 

Clair Frame, Director of UK Sales & Business Development at SelectaDNA, said: 

“Operation Zoridon continues to go from strength to strength, and its success comes down to collaboration. Retailers share what they’re seeing on the shop floor, officers turn that into targeted action, and we support both with deployment of SelectaDNA solutions to mark stock, which is vulnerable to theft, as well as detection through the use of our SelectaDNA search dog. 

“This joint approach has delivered positive results, both in disrupting the outlets that handle stolen goods and in rebuilding retailers’ confidence that reporting and sharing actionable intelligence makes a difference. 

“We’re proud to be part of it and keen to work with more retailers nationally to bring the same approach to communities across the UK.” 

The operation forms part of the Met’s continued work to tackle retail crime. Met figures  show recorded shoplifting in London fell by 3.7 per cent in 2025, around 3,500 fewer offences, while positive outcomes for shoplifting investigations doubled. In boroughs using the Met’s new retail crime reporting technology, positive outcomes have quadrupled this year. 

For SelectaDNA, Phase 3 shows how forensic marking and detection can protect vulnerable stock and support police investigations when goods are recovered. 

Is your business experiencing retail crime? Discover how SelectaDNA retail crime prevention solutions can help protect retail premises, staff and stock against theft and other retail crime or email [email protected] for bespoke advice.