Rising Tide of Thefts Launch Police Clean Up

Ken O’Brien

Concerns about illegal money laundering have taken an ironic turn

Police across the country have reported a rash of thefts of Tide laundry detergent.

Apparently the market leading Procter and Gamble product has become a widely accepted medium of exchange among street criminals.

The Daily reports, “One Tide thief in West St. Paul, Minn., stole $25,000 of the product over 15 months before he was arrested last year.” 

The article goes on to note, “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.”

The Business Courier of Cincinnati, Ohio reports, “Theft of Tide, one of P&G's (NYSE: PG) billion-dollar brands, has become so common that law enforcement officials are keeping tabs on the crime spree. Some cities have even set up special task forces to stop it.”

For those who apparently load up shopping carts with the detergent and make a dash for the exit with a running car waiting it lends a whole new meaning to the term a clean getaway.

The phenomenon reminds me of the reports of a few years ago that pouches of mackerel had become a means of exchange among prisoners in federal prisons.

Punny comments are encouraged.

Oh! Maybe it's just to keep those hoodies clean!