WHY THE SYSTEM WILL OVERACHIEVE SO MUCH IN A FEW MINUTES. >> ALL RIGHT, THANKS, PAUL. >>> NOW BACK TO THE BIG STORY, CRACKING DOWN ON THE RETAIL THEFT. GETTING SIGNS THAT THE CRIMINALS ARE GETTING MORE ORGANIZED. GOOD EVENING, I'M RYAN YAMAMOTO. >> I'M ELIZABETH COOK. WE HAVE SEEN A NUMBER OF HIGH-PROFILE INCIDENTS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. STATE LAWMAKERS ARE DISCUSSING A PACKAGE OF BILLS, AIMED AT STOPPING ORGANIZED RETAIL THEFT. THE MEASURES INCLUDE INCREASED PENALTIES AND A REQUIREMENT FOR ONLINE RETAILERS TO HAVE RECORDS TO PROVE THEIR GOODS ARE LEGAL. JOHN RAMOS SPOKE TO AUTHORITIES ABOUT A RECENT BUST IN THE EAST BAY THAT SHOWS JUST HOW SOPHISTICATED SOME OF THESE OPERATIONS HAVE GOTTEN. >> Reporter: POLICE TRACKED DOWN THE STOLEN MERCHANDISE INSIDE A HOME IN OAKLAND. THEY'RE NOT REVEALING THE LOCATION OF THE HOME, BUT ALAMEDA POLICE CHIEF SAYS THE STOLEN MERCHANDISE WAS ARRANGED AS IF IT WAS ON DISPLAY FOR SHOPPERS. >> MUCH OF THE LOSS ITEM STILL HAD THEIR TAGS ON IT. THEY WERE ON HANGERS. THE OPERATION, WHEN I SAY IT WAS SIMILAR TO ANY OTHER RETAIL STORE, THERE WERE SPECIFIC LOCATIONS AT THIS RESIDENT WHERE CERTAIN ITEMS WERE BEING STORED. >> Reporter: ASIDE FROM $10,000 IN CASH AND SEVERAL VEHICLES, OFFICERS RECOVERED EIGHT TRUCKLOADS OF STOLEN MERCHANDISE. MUCH OF IT CLOTHING. POLICE CAUGHT WIND OF THE OPERATION AFTER A FEBRUARY 9 MASS SHOPLIFTING AT THE OLD NAVY STORE IN ALAMEDA'S SHOPPING CENTER. THE STORE SECURITY TEAM SPOTTED A PATTERN OF OTHER THEFTS AT STORES IN THE CENTER AND WAS ABLE TO HELP POLICE IDENTIFY INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED AND A LOCATION OF THEIR DROP-OFF POINT. >> WE BEGAN TO LEARN THAT THEY WERE BEING BROUGHT TO THAT LOCATION AS WELL. SO THAT FURTHER LED US TO BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS A FENCING OPERATION WHERE THEY WERE LOST THROUGHOUT THE REGION. >> Reporter: AS SEEN ON THE NIGHTLY NEWS, RETAIL THEFT HAS GROWN. BUT CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL ROB BONTA SAYS IT IS A MISTAKE. >> LET ME BE CLEAR. THIS IS NOT ABOUT ONE-OFF THEFTS FROM STORES. IT IS NOT ABOUT THE OCCASIONAL SMASH N GRAB AT YOUR LOCAL BIG BOX STORE. THIS IS ABOUT A MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE. CRIMINAL SCHEMES THAT ARE COMPLEX, ORCHESTRATED, INCREDIBLY ORGANIZED. >> Reporter: FOR EXAMPLE, RECENTLY BONTA ANNOUNCED THE ARREST OF MY SHELL MACK, A WOMAN ACCUSED OF RUNNING AN $8 MILLION THEFT RING THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA OUT OF HER SAN DIEGO MANSION. SHE ALLEGEDLY DISPATCHED WOMEN AROUND THE STATE TO STEAL BEAUTY PRODUCTS FROM ULTA AND SEPHORA STORES, SELLING THEM FROM AN ONLINE SHOPPING SITE. THE FENCING OPERATION IN OAKLAND WASN'T QUITE ON THAT LEVEL, BUT THEN AGAIN THEY ARE STILL NOT SURE HOW FAR THIS MAY REACH. >> I'LL TELL YOU THIS, WE'RE NOT STOPPING HERE. SO IT IS POSSIBLE. WE WANT TO GO AS HIGH UP AS WE CAN TO FIGURE OUT WHO IS INVOLVED, WHERE ELSE IS THIS OCCURRING? WHAT ARE THE LINKAGES? >> Reporter: OFFICIALS SAY THE THIEVES ARE ORGANIZED, SO PREVENTION NEEDS TO BE ORGANIZED AS WELL. THEY SAY LAW ENFORCEMENT, THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, AND THE PUBLIC MUST WORK TOGETH
