Vic police bust major stolen goods racket

A group of alleged thieves with a delivery of stolen goods to onsell have walked into a Melbourne police raid.

The officers were raiding a gift shop and neighbouring grocer in Footscray as well as a storage facility in connection with a fencing operation.

A 53-year-old Footscray man was arrested at the storage facility on Friday, after arriving with allegedly stolen goods in his car.

"It was bad timing for another five people who turned up at the gift shop carrying further allegedly stolen retail items while police were still in attendance," Victoria Police also said in a statement.

In total, detectives seized goods worth more than $500,000 and nine people were arrested including the two shop owners.

A tenth person will also be interviewed.

Police say the racket involved stealing makeup, vitamins, alcohol and other goods from large retail outlets and onselling them at the smaller shops.