GASTONIA, NC - An undercover police operation in North Carolina dubbed "Operation Naughty List" resulted in the arrest of 78 individuals at local retail stores.
according to a press release from the Gastonia Police Department (GPD), authorities "conducted targeted operations at high-theft retail locations, including Target and Walmart stores across the city of Gastonia" between November 28 and December 19, 2025.
The undercover operation resulted in the arrest of 78 individuals and a total of 154 charges. The charges ranged from misdemeanor and felony larceny, possession of controlled substances like cocaine, trespassing, and outstanding warrants. Additionally, officers recovered and/or prevented the theft of a total of $4,342.85 in retail merchandise, including one incident involving the attempted theft of $735 that involved the deactivation of anti-theft devices.
Officers from GPD's Street Crimes Unit dressed in plain clothes and blended "in with shoppers while working closely with store loss-prevention professionals," per the press release. A video shared by GPD of the operation features footage of a plainclothes officer in jeans and a grey sweater, holding a shopping item in his hands.
Another clip features an officer in black jeans, a sweatshirt, and a beanie appearing to peruse the clothing section of a local store, PEOPLE reported.
The initiative enabled officers to prevent theft in real-time and target repeat offenders, authorities said.
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