Crime gangs are turning from drugs to dogs to make cash during lockdown

Organised crime gangs are turning from drugs to dogs to rake in cash during lockdown.

Thefts rocketed 170% year-on-year, which has been blamed on criminals exploiting a huge increase in the price of puppies due to a soar in demand during the pandemic.

Charity DogLost recorded 465 thefts last year compared with 172 in 2019. Deputy Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman, of Gwent Police, said: “Dog thefts can be a devastating crime for families and causes considerable distress to owners.

“It’s sadly something we have seen increasing recently.

“The cost of a puppy has considerably increased over the past year, making this a lucrative market for organised criminals.”

She warned owners not to post photos of new dogs online and for buyers to consider where animals may have come from.

Officers in Wigan, Greater Manchester, recently arrested three people after a member of the public reported someone carrying seven English bulldog puppies into a house.

Two 21-year-old men and a 20-year-old woman were detained on suspicion of burglary.

In Wales, police found 80 stolen dogs at a property in Carmarthenshire. Two people were arrested and 30 of the animals returned to their owners.

A joint operation between Avon and Somerset and Wiltshire police also led to the arrest of two men following the alleged theft of dogs at a property in Bristol.

In Cambridgeshire, two dogs were reunited with their owners after officers executed a warrant. Two men in their 20s and 40s were arrested.

Policing minister Kit Malthouse said: “It’s a very sad fact that criminals will seek to profit by this vile crime.”