The syndicate was broken by NSW Police Strike Force Merengue, leading to a series of arrests in November and December. Two suspects were arrested at Sydney International Airport. Anastassia Saavedra Urzua was arrested on suspicion of stealing thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from a Victoria's Secret store in Los Angeles and convicted of shoplifting offences in Melbourne. All Chilean nationals, they have been charged with stealing jewellery, luxury items and cash worth at least $1.2 million from homes in Sydney's Vaucluse and Rose Bay and from designer stores around the city. Some of those arrested also faces charges of making false statements to immigration officials and dealing with the proceeds of crime. Another two suspects alleged to be involved in the Sydney syndicate were arrested in Melbourne in early December after a week-long theft spree at shopping centres in Chadstone, Ringwood, Knox and Doncaster. The haul included 662 items of sporting apparel and merchandise from Rebel Sport, 36 purses and clutch bags from TK Maxx, and various other items with a combined worth of more than $27,000.

Among the items were T-shirts, singlets, leggings, jeans, watches, purses and baseball caps, all with the tags still attached. Authorities have also identified more than 30 international money transfers worth $75,000 sent to unknown recipients in Santiago, Chile. The duo were arrested in Melbourne's northern suburbs. Inside their rental car were magnets, pliers, wire cutters and "booster bags", foil-lined bags used to avoid anti-shoplifting technology. Anastassia Saavedra Urzua, a 19-year-old Chilean national, received a 30-day prison sentence after pleading guilty in Melbourne Magistrates Court just before Christmas for theft, dealing with the proceeds of crime and making false declarations to immigration authorities. She is expected to be extradited to NSW to potentially face charges from Strike Force Merengue.

Saavedra Urzua could also be facing extradition to the United States after she was accused of being part of a group of Chileans who stole a trove of lingerie from a Victoria's Secret outlet in a Californian mall, according to documents tendered to the Melbourne Magistrates Court. CCTV footage from Rebel Sports in Eastland shows Anastassia Saavedra Urzua. In July 2018, Saavedra Urzua was with three other Chileans in the San Fernando Valley, outside Los Angeles, when police raided their hotel rooms. Apart from the lingerie, hundreds of discarded security tags were also found along with shopping bags lined with aluminum foil. According to US police, Saavedra Urzua and her co-accused posed as two couples.