Tens of thousands of dollars worth of stolen property recovered

CHRISTCHURCH: Police are urging people to carefully secure their valuables after recovering a haul of stolen property in Christchurch.

Tens of thousands of dollars of stolen property, linked to several recent thefts in Christchurch, was found following the arrest of a 36yearold and 27yearold man, Detective Senior Sergeant Colin Baillie said.

Following the arrest, police searched container yards on Wednesday and located the stolen property.

Police inquiries found the alleged offenders were stealing to order or attempting to sell items on Facebook Marketplace.

‘‘Anyone searching Facebook Marketplace or elsewhere online for a bargain should be extremely cautious,’’ Det Snr Sgt Baillie said.

‘‘If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is — onsold stolen items may be seized by police and the purchaser left out of pocket.’’

Det Snr Sgt Baillie said there were a few simple actions that could help keep property safe.

These included locking your vehicle, removing tools or other valuables from your vehicle, securing new builds as whiteware and other highvalue items are installed.

Being mindful of how you carry and where you leave items such as laptops, bank cards and phones was also important.

The two arrested men have been charged with a number of burglaries, theft from vehicles and using stolen credit cards.

The 36yearold was remanded in custody and is scheduled to reappear on September 14, while the 27yearold is expected to appear today.

Police said inquiries were continuing into burglaries and thefts in the area. — RNZ