Oregon Police Make Surprising Sweep To Recover Stolen LEGO

It's a story that at first seems ridiculous - why would police in Springfield, Oregon spend three months to track down a local LEGO thief?

Sure, some LEGO sets are worth a lot of money - but I can't help but picture an angry mom standing with a crying toddler, demanding a tired police officer get back a favorite red brick from a playground bully.

Thankfully, Oregon residents can rest easy that their police department didn't waste tax dollars just to hunt down a single brick.

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Springfield PD Announces $200,000 in LEGO Recovered

On July 9, Springfield Police Department announced via their Facebook page that they had spent three months investigating a large-scale retail theft operation involving stolen LEGO sets from local retailers.

SPD alleges that the store owner of Brick Builders on Willamette Street in Eugene was "knowingly purchasing new, unopened sets of Legos that had been stolen from local retail stores."

Police further allege that some of the involved suspects indicated that they would sell back the stolen items to the store at a small portion of the retail value in order to buy and use illegal drugs.

In all, the Springfield Police Department recovered 4,153 LEGO sets, valued at over $200,000. The drone footage definitely makes it look like an impressive haul. Of course, the SPD also had to have a little fun posing LEGO inside.

LEGO are a hot item for retail theft

As CNN reported earlier this year, the high value and collectibility of LEGO have made them a prime target for retail theft. Read Hayes, University of Florida criminologist and the director of the Loss Prevention Research Council, told CNN in their report:

LEGO is unique. The brand is always refreshing their offerings, always on trend with tie-ins to pop culture and special edition sets.

It's no surprise that the modern LEGO has made itself one of the top targets of thieves. It's also a prime target for counterfeiters. So if you're looking to buy a new LEGO set, don't cut corners - buy from authorized LEGO sellers.

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