Stolen gear recovered

Gear taken from two Tokoroa commercial properties was recovered from a Mangakino address.

A quad bike and strops used to tie down vehicles which were taken at about 5am on June 12.

Sergeant Phil Edwards said the items were recovered at an address in Mangakino on the morning of June 15.

No arrests have been made but Edwards said the suspects were from the Hamilton/Rotorua area.

Graffiti hits Tokoroa

An anonymous artist has gained the attention of police after spreading his or her work across Tokoroa.

‘‘A bit of graffiti has been popping about around the place,’’ Edwards said.

While the tagging was illegible, it appeared to be done by the same person, he said.

Operation Police Presence in town

Residents will see more police on the streets next month. Operation Police Presence will be in full force with police coming from out of town to patrol the town, particularly targeting traffic offences.

Properties searched in drug raid

A drug investigation led by the Bay of Plenty Police has resulted in several arrests, including two men from Tokoroa.

Fourteen search warrants were executed in Tauranga, Tokoroa and Taupo on June 12 and were aimed at disrupting the manufacture and supply of methamphetamine by organised criminal groups.

About 80 police staff were involved in the operation, including assistance from the Bay of Plenty and Waikato Armed Offenders Squads, Tokoroa CIB and a specialist search dog from Wellington.

Methamphetamine, cannabis, thousands of dollars in cash, and suspected stolen property were recovered from the search warrants across the three towns.

Two Tokoroa men aged 42 years old and 47 years old were arrested.

Car chase ends in arrest

A 15 minute pursuit through rural South Waikato roads ended in an arrest for one man.

Edwards said the 32-yearold driver was caught speeding by Putaruru police and failed to stop at about 2pm on June 12.

He was chased down Old Taupo Road and the pursuit ended on Scotia Glen St in Putaruru.

It was revealed that the man was a disqualified driver.

Rise in thefts and burglaries

Putaruru police have recorded a ‘‘significant rise’’ in thefts and burglaries over the last few weeks.

Senior sergeant Jason Shailer said items such as chainsaws had been taken from a mixture of rural and urban properties.

‘‘We are working hard to find the culprits and return property to their owners and have been pleased with some of the information coming in so far.

‘‘If you are offered a cheap chainsaw, a deal too good to be true or if you know who has been stealing and offloading them contact the police on 07 883 8199 or anonymously with crimestoppers 0800 555 111.’’

Purchasing the items may mean you could be charged with receiving stolen property and have a date with the judge, he said.