<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Supermarket giant Coles has been hit by a spike in thefts and threats to its workers, with organised crime networks behind many incidents.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The company said during the release of its annual results yesterday that organised crime and "opportunistic theft" and were behind stock losses, including meats.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Chief executive Leah Weckert told </span><a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/coles-posts-healthy-profits-as-measures-against-shoplifters-pay-off-20250826-p5mpt5.html" rel="" target="_blank" title="The Sydney Morning Herald"><em><span>The Sydney Morning Herald</span></em></a><span> the company had reduced the level of shoplifting, but staff were still being confronted by thieves in stores.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>LIVE UPDATES:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/porepunkah-victoria-police-shooting-live-updates-latest-news-headlines-august-27/5ee3d7e6-9199-4943-b773-97824e918a23" target="_blank"><strong><span>Police search rural Victoria for alleged cop killer</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She said the introduction of expensive theft prevention measures in stores, such as automated security gates and camera monitoring, had reduced stock loss to 2015 levels.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But the safety of Coles staff remained a major worry.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Despite the investments that we've made in safety initiatives for our team, we are continuing to see increases in threatening situations in store," Weckert said.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/crime-gangs-stealing-meat-from-coles-to-sell-to-restaurants/68301199-52fd-490b-80ec-9962807056df" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"And it is definitely the case that in Victoria, retail crime is escalating more than what we are seeing in other states."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Coles is just one of multiple major retailers facing a wave of shoplifting and threats to workers in the state.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan this week pledged to introduce new laws aimed at protecting retail workers from rising crime levels.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Victoria Police declined to comment.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple App Store</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>.</span></em></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span></span></div></div>