Last week, Florida state police made simultaneous arrests in three different cities, busting up one of the largest organized shoplifting rings the country has ever seen.

Inside a Tampa-area warehouse, Theresa and Ronald Parrish were allegedly re-packaging stolen items and selling them on online and at flea markets.

“We estimate that they have stolen between $60 and $100 million worth of products,” said Sheriff Grady Judd of the Polk County, Fla. sheriff’s office.

A total of 18-people were arrested. Fourteen of them are so-called “boosters.”

Boosters are suspects police say who actually walked into as many as eight stores a day and illegally pocketed the goods.

In Houston, businesses owners and police  said organized retail crime is a huge problem. Perhaps even bigger than in Florida.

Lee Bland is director of loss prevention for Stage stores. They own Palais Royal and other retail outlets.

“It is pretty rampant,” said Bland.

She says most of the organized crime here involves illegal immigrants who are forced to work in shoplifting crime rings until they pay back the coyotes who smuggled them here.

“And that's part of their payment back, is to be in this organized group,” said Bland. “And they're so big, if we catch them in Houston they post bond and they are off to another city and we never see them again.”

11 News has learned organized shoplifting rings operate in our city every day and across the state and cost businesses $2.5 billion every year.

One of the alleged offenders Dora Timmons, was recently arrested and charged after police discovered she was selling the stolen goods right in her front yard.

They said she was making good money.

“Usually every Thursday and Friday she has garage sales and the clothes were nice. Yeah usually kind of expensive clothes, said neighbor Juan Martinez. “High price. $30, $40 (or) $60 I guess.”

The Texas Retailers Association recently helped push through new organized crime legislation that includes tougher penalties.

And its members meet regularly to compare notes and surveillance video. The effort is leading to arrests.

“They will bring in all the open cases that they have and we will post them on a board and brainstorm,” said Bland. “Most of the time if someone is hitting us, they are also hitting another retailer down the street.”

Retailers say they are now putting up a strong fight, because these organized crime rings are costing us all.