Law-enforcement officials across thenation have been left baffled by a crime wave targeting an unlikely item — Tide laundry detergent.
Theft of Tide detergent has become so rampant that some cities are setting up special task forces to stop it, and retailers like CVS are locking down the liquid.
One thief in West St. Paul, Minn., stole $25,000 worth of the product before he was arrested last year.
“That was unique that he stole so much soap,” said Police Chief Bud Shaver.
Tide has become a form of currency on the streets. The retail price is steadily high — roughly $10 to $20 a bottle — and it’s a staple in households across socioeconomic classes.
Tide can go for $5 to $10 a bottle on the black market, authorities say, and some thieves even resell it to stores.
“We sent in an informant to buy drugs,” Prince George’s County, Md., Detective Harrison Sprague said. “The dealer said, ‘I don’t have drugs, but I could sell you 15 bottles of Tide.’ ”