Pair charged with 20 offences after shoplifting crackdown

Two prolific mid-Wales shoplifters are due in court after police linked them to nineteen thefts from local businesses.

Connor Evans, age 28, and Tyler Jefferies, age 26, both from Newtown, were arrested and charged with a combined 19 shoplifting offences and one failing to appear offence.

The incidents go back to March as the pair stole items amounting to approximately £1000 from stores across Newtown.

Dyfed-Powys Police neighbourhood officers connected each incident to them and built a case. They were arrested on 8 June 2026 and admitted every offence in interview.

They’re due to appear in Welshpool Magistrates Court on Tuesday, 30 June 2026.

Dyfed-Powys Police now rank amongst the highest in the UK for outcome rates for shoplifting offences. This means more people are being identified and charged, giving retail owners the opportunity to see justice.

More improvements are on the way with the introduction of the app ‘Auror’. This mobile and desktop app enables retailers to report non-violent crime, such as shoplifting, directly to police in a structured and consistent way.

Images of offenders or vehicles, witness statements and CCTV footage can also be uploaded, providing investigating officers with access to high-quality evidence and intelligence to support the investigation of retail and more serious crime.

The platform also offers a crime intelligence function that uses AI to link incidents together and build profiles of repeat offenders.

Inspector Mark Davies, of Dyfed-Powys Police, said: “We’ve made great improvements with our shoplifting case outcomes. Our NPPT and crime prevention officers have built strong relationships with retailers and we’re seeing more shoplifters charged than ever before.

“The upcoming work with the Auror app will only strengthen those relationships and give us more access to high-quality evidence. We’re confident that we can keep building on the success in previous months and work with retailers to make our communities even safer.”

To get alerts about the activity in the Dyfed-Powys area and speak directly to an NPPT, sign up to Dyfed-Powys Connects here.