Three residents of Los Angeles were arrested in Ventura County earlier this month after they were found to be in possession of special bags that allow shoplifters to leave a store without triggering an alarm.

On Dec. 1, Maicol Silva, 32, Geradin Gonzalez-Morales, 30, and Daniela Beltran-Rojas, 28, were arrested by Ventura County Sheriff’s Department deputies as they left Camarillo Premium Outlets in Camarillo.

Deputies responded to the outlet mall after receiving reports of a possible theft from one of the stores. An employee provided a description of the vehicle the thieves were driving, which allowed deputies to conduct a quick traffic stop.

The car was searched and, according to law enforcement officials, a large amount of property from nearby businesses was located as well as several “booster bags.”

The inconspicuous bags are lined with conductive material and are meant to defeat retail security tags by blocking the electronic detectors you might see at the entrance to a retail store.

Booster bags are considered to be burglary tools, according to law enforcement.

Based off the amount of merchandise recovered and the bags found inside the car, the three passengers were arrested on suspicion of retail theft and possession of burglary tools.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office says retail thefts cause billions of dollars’ worth of damage to retailers across the country, but they also put the lives and livelihoods of employees at risk.

The Sheriff’s Office has a special two-person team called the Directed Enforcement Unit, which is comprised of detectives who focus on assisting patrol units in areas with various crimes, including organized retail theft.