Operation Rhino fills shipping containers

More than one thousand stolen items are being reunited with their owners following a successful burglary/receiving operation in the Canterbury District.



“There was the equivalent of the contents of seven shipping containers full of recovered goods, that we’d identified as stolen,” said OC Detective Senior Sergeant John Rae. “It was a mammoth job.”

In September 2004 the Canterbury Burglary Squad initiated an intensive operation (Operation Rhino) targeting two local people thought to be involved in the criminal receiving of stolen property. Rhino aimed to recover as much of the stolen property as possible and identify admissible evidence against those involved.

A range of property was involved including computer and electronic equipment, plumbing and building material, builders’ tools, cars and car parts.

John says houses under construction were targeted by a group of burglars and thieves and stolen items passed to the two main receivers.

“Many complaints of theft and burglary (about one hundred in all), had been made over the last twelve months where property had been stolen from houses under construction, often in new housing estates in the north-east and south-west of Christchurch. Some properties had been ‘closed-in’, while others were at the stage where the appliances had been delivered for installation,” says John.

The investigation gained momentum over the early part of 2005 and the Rhino team acted to recover what stolen property they could, arrest and charge those criminally involved.

“As a result two local men were arrested and charged and an extensive amount of property recovered,” says John.

John says help was sought from the building industry and the public to identify recovered stolen items not traced to the original owners. He emphasises that this in no way implicates the companies in criminal activity.

“Rather the opposite,” says John. “They were the targets. However, it made sense that with such a large number of building items being stolen, some must end up in homes being built.”

The inquiry team eventually went to about three hundred homes where stolen items may have been installed. Builders and owners were approached to assist in inspecting whiteware, plumbing fittings and other household items, to establish whether they had in fact been stolen.

By mid-May the Rhino team had added criminal fraud, money laundering and offences under the Arms Act to the investigation.

“Eighteen people have now been charged and there are in excess of a hundred charges now before the court,” says John.

“We will continue to lay charges as property and associated offenders are identified. I anticipate it will be some months before the full picture is developed,” says John.