MOUNT DORA, Fla., March 8 (UPI) -- Four people arrested in Central Florida for allegedly stealing baby formula are suspected of being part of a multimillion-dollar organized crime ring.
Mount Dora, Fla., officers arrested the suspects outside a supermarket last month for allegedly stealing cases of baby formula valued at $2,000. Officials told WKMG-TV in Orlando they suspect the incident was a part of a crime ring that profits from the sale of stolen goods in Latin America.
"They steal the baby formula, they store it in a storage unit and when the storage unit gets full, they transport it to Texas and then they take it across the border," said Sgt. Robert Bell. "In this case, we believe they were taking it to Honduras and selling it for big money."
A baby-formula crime ring in California and Arizona that generated $11 million was disrupted by federal investigators last year. The Justice Department alleges some of the criminal activity has been used to finance Middle East terrorist organizations.
