Two alleged burglars who targeted a High Street jewellery store in Auckland have learned the hard way that police are willing to go the distance to bring offenders to justice — literally.
Auckland Central Police launched an investigation after the store was burgled on 30 May. Detective Senior Sergeant Martin Friend, Auckland City Area Investigations Manager, said initial enquiries revealed the suspects had used a rental vehicle to flee the scene.
Further investigation led police to identify two individuals with links to Ōpōtiki. From there, the case stretched across the upper North Island.
“With the alleged offenders identified, the Auckland Central Tactical Crime Unit traced the stolen jewellery to second-hand dealers in Rotorua,” said Detective Senior Sergeant Friend.
A total of 17 stolen items were located and recovered after being pawned at a local shop.
“This is another great result for the Auckland Central team in tackling retail crime. It sends a clear message — this kind of brazen offending will not be tolerated.”
This week, police arrested a man and woman in Ōpōtiki. Both have now appeared in the Whakatāne District Court.
A 30-year-old woman is due to appear on 1 July, facing charges of receiving stolen property and unlawfully being in a stolen vehicle. A 27-year-old man has been remanded in custody to appear on 17 July, facing charges of unlawfully taking a motor vehicle and two counts of burglary.
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