At least 32 people have been arrested in the hurricane hit state of Florida on suspicion of attacking vulnerable businesses and houses left empty by residents fleeing the ravages of Irma.
The dramatic scenes come as Richard Branson’s son Sam warns of the British Virgin Islands facing civil disorder in the wake of the devastation.
In Florida, guns are believed to be among the desirable items being taken, prompting SWAT team officers to descend onto storm-hit areas in an attempt to restore order.
A stand-off ensued in the midst of the war-torn neighbourhoods, with would-be looters facing down officers near the Academy Sports near the Mall at Millenia, in Orlando.
Of the two people spotted at the scene, one man gave himself up while the other barricaded himself in the store – with the guns.
The crack team was forced to use gas to try and regain control of the situation and Orlando Police later confirmed the situation was “peacefully resolved” and they had two suspects in custody.
MIAMI PD / Virgin.com
At least 32 people have been arrested in the hurricane hit state of Florida
Two separate groups were caught on camera in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and in Midtown Miami another gang appeared to be looting shops and running off with goods.
On Sunday, at least 12 people were arrested when two separate groups were caught on cameras looting two different sports shops in south Florida.
One of the alleged looters was shot by law enforcement.
Simon’s Sportswear is thought to be one of the targets, while Foot Locker is the other.
In mid-town Miami, which has been hit hard by flooding, another news camera captured what appeared to be a well-planned operation to rob another sports shop.
At least a dozen people were seen leaving the store with what appeared to be merchandise, thought to be trainers.
Police eventually arrived an hour later and took two people into custody.
Virgin.com
With affluent neighbourhoods left empty and unguarded, thugs are seemingly seeing an opportunity
And not just shops, but homes are also the target of opportunistic thieves.
With affluent neighbourhoods left empty and unguarded, thugs are seemingly seeing an opportunity.
A teenager was shot by police in Weston, a Fort Lauderdale suburb, after they received reports of a burglary.
The suspect, 17, was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries and a second was arrested.
In another area, St. Petersburg, a family who evacuated their home returned to find it ransacked.
Be prepared to spend the storm at the county jail
And in a bid to deter would-be crooks, Miami Police Department released a photo of 10 men sat inside a jail cell, arrested on suspicion of looting.
They captioned the photo posted online with: “Thinking about looting? Ask these guys how that turned out.”
Neighbouring force the Fort Lauderdale police confirmed they arrested two suspected looters believed to have broken into six homes.
They named the men as Ryan Cook and Max Saintvil, both 28, who face six counts of burglary.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd issued a press release in an attempt to deter looters.
She said: “We want everyone to be safe during the hurricane. And we will not tolerate thieves taking advantage of those evacuating their homes.
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Miami Police Department released a photo of 10 men sat inside a jail cell
“Looters need to be prepared to go to jail if they try to take advantage of people during a state of emergency.”
And Sheriff Ken J. Mascara, from St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, echoed his colleague.
He said: “’I have said over and over that we will not tolerate looting or price gouging.
“We have deputies actively patrolling the county, including our beach communities, to ensure the safety and security of your homes and businesses.
“If you think you are going to take advantage of these evacuated properties, be prepared to spend the storm at the county jail.”
In the storm-hit Leeward Islands, which include the British Virgin Islands, billionaire Sir Richard Branson’s son indicated a level of lawlessness has ensued.
Some islands have been devastated by the hurricane, with Barbuda reporting 95 per cent of buildings damaged, with the entire island said to be evacuated in preparation for hurricane Jose.
Sam Branson, who has been active on social media regarding the relief and clean up-effort, spoke about the British Virgin Islands.
Fort Lauderdale Police
Ryan Cook and Max Saintvil, both 28, who face six counts of burglary
He said: “I’ve been hearing more from the ground out there.
“Hearing stories of what the place looks like, and what going on its just really horrible to think about.
“The thing that upsets me the most is the breakdown of values, the way people are having to behave to survive – well not having to behave but some are choosing to do to survive.”
He added there was 250 marines off the cast of BVI, in Virgin Gorda, to help with the “civil unrest”.