Israel Picallo, CPI

HAVANA, August – Necessity is the mother of invention, and the "shoppers" are a new manifestation of the old saw.

The "shoppers" are bands of women who prowl the dollar stores for anything they might steal to later sell in the black market. They typically operate in groups. Some, well dressed and flamboyant, parade through the stores acting as decoys to divert the employees’ attention from others who, dressed more inconspicuosly, take whatever they can from the shelves.

This procedure helps explain the availability in the streets of jeans, dresses or chicken parts at half the official price. The shoppers also take special orders.

Versión original en español

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