Thursday, 10 June 2004 - 4:01pm |
Auckland City

Digger used for smash and grab

1 min read

Thieves who used an excavation digger from a nearby building site to gain entry to a St Lukes Hill & Stewart outlet got away with tens of thousands of dollars worth of electronic and electrical goods this morning.

The burglars used the bucket of the digger to smash through glass and a security grille shortly after 6.10 this morning and spent nine minutes making several trips to and from the building to load a range of large and smaller items like televisions, digital cameras, laptops and other computers into a vehicle.

The two offenders, believed to be male, hid their identities by wearing balaclavas, dark clothing and white gloves.

Detective Sergeant Glenn Baldwin of the Avondale Burglary Squad said the burglary seemed planned and it was likely the offenders were experienced in driving equipment like the digger.

"Anyone who’s offered new electronic goods at well below market value should contact Police. Without receivers there would be no market for stolen goods and buying such goods maintains the market for criminals," Mr Baldwin said.

Anyone with information about the stolen property, the offenders or who may have seen suspicious behaviour or vehicles in 9/1 Wagner Place St Lukes this morning, can contact the inquiry team on 0800 RAM RAID – 0800 726 724.

ENDS
Issued by Noreen Hegarty
Auckland City Police Communications Manager
Ph 09 302 6947 or 0274-951-589
Website: www.police.govt.nz