Massachusetts laundry detergent thieves make a clean getaway

August 24, 2016 at 11:46 a.m. | Updated August 24, 2016 at 11:46 a.m.

by Associated Press

This Monday, Oct. 31, 2005 file photo shows Tide laundry detergent on a shelf at a New York supermarket. Tide has become a hot commodity for thieves, at least in parts of the country. For a variety of reasons, it's especially well-suited to sale on the black market. Everybody needs laundry detergent, and Tide is the nation's most popular brand. It's expensive, costing up to $20 for a large bottle. It's nonperishable, and there's no need to repackage it for illicit sales.
This Monday, Oct. 31, 2005 file photo shows Tide laundry detergent on a shelf at a New York supermarket. Tide has become a hot commodity for thieves, at least in parts of the country. For a variety of reasons, it's especially well-suited to sale on the black market. Everybody needs laundry detergent, and Tide is the nation's most popular brand. It's expensive, costing up to $20 for a large bottle. It's nonperishable, and there's no need to repackage it for illicit sales.

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (AP) -- Thieves who stole 15 bottles of laundry detergent from a Massachusetts home have made a clean getaway.

New Bedford police Lt. Amos Melo says the homeowner called police Saturday night after returning home and finding that someone had used the stairs leading to the room where the laundry detergent was stored.

Melo tells The Standard-Times the detergent was worth about $250. Nothing else was taken from the home.

He says laundry detergent may seem like an unlikely target for thieves, but it can easily be sold for money, which can be used to buy drugs.

After all, he said, "Everybody can use laundry detergent."

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