In a significant crackdown on retail theft across California, authorities have charged the suspected leader of a theft ring responsible for stealing $8 million in beauty products from stores, announced by Attorney General Rob Bonta on Friday. This operation's details emerged alongside the arrests of three individuals for a series of armed robberies targeting Southern California stores, and two men facing charges for looting 50 Apple iPhones and laptops worth $329,798 from Apple stores in Berkeley and Emeryville, as reported by Alameda County prosecutors. The stolen iPhones were valued at $49,230. These arrests come amidst legislative efforts to combat retail theft more aggressively, with California lawmakers proposing a bill to increase penalties for shoplifters, including potential three-year prison sentences for those found in possession of stolen property with the intent to sell. Additionally, the theft ring's operations extended to selling stolen products on Amazon.