Woman arrested and charged following high-value shoplifting incidents in Braehead

A woman has been arrested and charged following high-value shoplifting incidents in Braehead.

On Sunday, 1 June and Wednesday, 9 July, 2025, iPhones worth more than £17,000 were stolen from the Apple store within the area’s major shopping centre.

The 18-year-old was arrested on Friday, 11 July, following in-depth enquiries by local officers, supported by key intelligence from the Retail Crime Taskforce. She is due to appear at Paisley Sheriff Court on Thursday, 2 October. 

A 19-year-old man has also arrested and charged in connection with the offence on Sunday, 1 June.

A 42-year-old woman has also been reported in connection with the incident on 9 July.

Enquiries are continuing.

Detective Inspector Emma Wright from the Retail Crime Taskforce said: “Both of these crimes resulted in valuable stock being stolen from the store and taskforce officers have been supporting enquiries by local officers over the last month, which resulted in enforcement activity.

“The taskforce was created for this very purpose – to provide local officers with enhanced resources and assistance for tackling retail crimes.

“We want to send a very clear message that no part of the country should be considered an easy target. We will provide our assistance wherever it is required and work alongside divisional colleagues to bring offenders to justice.”

Chief Inspector Alex Marshall, Local Area Commander for Renfrewshire, added: “Braehead is one of our area’s largest retail sites and the theft of thousands of pounds worth of goods has a huge impact on the overall confidence of the all the stores and their customers.

“We will continue to use all resources at our disposal, including the specialisms available with the Retail Crime Taskforce, to tackle this type of crime wherever it arises within Renfrewshire.”