In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, masks became a staple in public spaces.

However, in Bengaluru, this trend has taken a surprising turn.

Several supermarkets have now prohibited customers from wearing masks due to a surge in thefts.

According to some employees at a supermarket chain, their stores suffered significant losses, with items worth ₹1.2 lakh stolen in the past month alone.

Across two of their outlets, the total loss reached ₹3 lakh. Despite having CCTV cameras installed, identifying the culprits proved difficult as their faces were hidden behind masks.

These thefts only came to light during the weekly audits, leaving store management frustrated and concerned.

When asked how these thefts are carried out, the supermarkets explained that the thieves often stash stolen goods in college bags or conceal them within their clothing.

At the checkout, they present only low-cost items for billing, while the stolen goods remain hidden.

Smaller stores, lacking the capacity to restrict bags at the entrance, are particularly vulnerable to these tactics. Despite the recurring thefts, supermarket employees hesitate to involve the police.

Stores noted that the stolen items usually amount to ₹1,000-2,000, which they believe wouldn’t prompt a serious response from law enforcement. Moreover, the thieves rarely return, making it difficult to track them.

A senior police officer acknowledged the challenge masks pose in identifying criminals. Post-pandemic, masks have become a common disguise not just for minor thieves but also for more serious criminals, including chain snatchers and robbers.

The officer mentioned that before COVID-19, culprits often wore helmets to avoid detection, but they could be identified when removing them. Now, with masks, evading capture has become easier.

The officer cited a case where a suspect in the Rameshwaram cafe bomb blast used a mask to conceal his identity.

The widespread use of masks has turned them into a tool for criminals, prompting some supermarkets to take drastic measures.

Image Credit: Tiven Gonsalves, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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