Six people were arrested on Wednesday morning after breaking into and looting a Chedraui supermarket in Oaxaca city. Security videos show that at least 30 people broke windows and forced a door to enter the supermarket in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The thieves targeted home electronics, domestic appliances and mobile telephones, loading them into four pickup trucks parked outside the supermarket.

Police were alerted to the heist by an alarm at the supermarket and arrived at the scene a short time later. In addition to arresting six of the looters, they also seized some of the stolen goods. Authorities are conducting an investigation aimed at locating and arresting the other people who participated in the crime.

State police said that additional officers would be deployed to supermarkets to avoid more cases of looting. There are fears in some quarters that the crime could become more common as the Covid-19 outbreak worsens.

The looting in Oaxaca this morning followed a similar plunder on Monday night in Tecámac, México state, where a gang of over 70 people robbed a grocery store.

Calls for widespread looting in México state have been making the rounds on social media in recent days, with some posters claiming that food shortages are imminent.

Source: Milenio (sp)