Seven people were arrested in Salford on Sunday over an alleged coordinated national plan to target high-end retailers and supermarkets through organised shoplifting, according to police.

Greater Manchester Police said the group, comprising one man and six women, was detained on suspicion of conspiracy to steal following a joint operation with the Metropolitan Police. Officers believe the suspects had been preparing for a campaign involving theft from high-value stores across the UK, with the intention of redistributing the goods.

Police said the individuals had been attending training sessions in Salford focused on non-violent direct action. Authorities allege the activity formed part of a broader effort to disrupt the retail sector through coordinated theft targeting both luxury outlets and major supermarkets.

Assistant Chief Constable Steph Parker said the arrests were aimed at preventing organised criminal activity. “This joint operation with the Metropolitan Police has resulted in the arrests of seven individuals who we believe were planning to take part in coordinated national activity targeting high-value retail stores,” she said. “We are taking robust action to disrupt this type of organised criminality, and it will not be tolerated.”

Police linked the alleged plot to activists advocating for wealth redistribution, although officers have not publicly confirmed a specific organisational structure behind the arrests. All seven suspects remain in custody for questioning.

A spokesperson for Take Back Power, a group that describes itself as a civil resistance movement calling for a tax on extreme wealth, said its supporters had been detained. The spokesperson said “the police are arresting people at generic training sessions that simply teach the history and principles of staying non-violent”.

BBC News reported that the arrests follow earlier incidents associated with the group, including claims that supporters had previously taken items from shops without paying and donated them to food banks. Police said they believed the latest plans involved a more coordinated and large-scale approach.

The Metropolitan Police had previously arrested 15 individuals linked to Take Back Power in March over alleged plans for mass shoplifting. Nine members were charged on Sunday in connection with separate incidents in December, including disruptions at the Ritz Hotel and the Tower of London.

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