Residents and small business owners in Sydney’s northwest are calling for help to identify a group of thieves after a series of break-ins targeting local shops, including Indian restaurants in Seven Hills and Glenwood.
According to 7News, three suspects broke into two Indian restaurants in Seven Hills on Tuesday, causing heavy damage while stealing only a few hundred dollars. Police told the outlet the same group also targeted another Indian restaurant shortly afterwards.
A separate investigation is underway in Glenwood, where police are searching for two armed men accused of breaking into multiple businesses last month. 7News reported the businesses targeted included an Indian restaurant and a grocery store, with the offenders allegedly taking cash registers and money before fleeing. Police have appealed for anyone with information to come forward.
The incidents come amid wider concern about retail crime in New South Wales. The NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research said in its latest quarterly update that “steal from retail store” rose 9.3 per cent in the two years to December 2025, with the increase concentrated in Greater Sydney. BOCSAR also said liquor was the most commonly shoplifted item in 2025.
The Minns government launched a statewide Retail Crime Strategy in October last year, saying it was designed to tackle theft, repeat offending, assaults, intimidation and threats of violence in retail settings. NSW said the strategy included the statewide rollout of Operation Percentile, which had already resulted in 1,080 people being charged with more than 1,395 offences since August 2024.
Retail groups say the pressure on shop owners and staff has become severe. The Australian Retail Council said retail crime is at “crisis level” nationally and estimated retail theft costs retailers about $9 billion a year. In a separate report based on BOCSAR data, retail theft involving alcohol in NSW was reported to have jumped from 2,910 incidents in 2015–16 to 7,003 in 2024–25, a 141 per cent increase over the decade.
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