PORTLAND, Ore. – Police arrested a suspect who allegedly bought stolen Legos and other toys from addicts so he could sell them online.
The Portland Police Bureau said they began to investigate 40-year-old Raji Afife Azar after Fred Meyer employees determined he was the leader of a fencing operation that involved the theft and sale of merchandise from several Portland-area stores.
According to PPB, undercover investigators posing as thieves offered to sell Azar stolen items at a fraction of their retail prices. On April 26, Azar asked the undercover investigators to sell him about $13,000 worth of stolen merchandise. They met with Azar, who bought the items from the officers. He was then taken into custody without incident.
Azar’s family residence was eventually searched. Police said they found a “large quantity” of stolen Legos, toys and other merchandise. The value of the toys stolen from Fred Meyer stores amounted to approximately $50,000. That figure doesn’t account for property stolen from other retailers.
Investigators said Azar would buy stolen merchandise, often from drug addicts, for pennies on the dollar. He’d then turn around and sell the items online for large profit.
“Investigators remind anyone purchasing items from a non-retail location to be aware of items sold as “new” or in unopened packages with prices that seem too good to be true – the items may be stolen,” PPB said.
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