Men charged after raids
DETECTIVES seized more than $100,000 of allegedly stolen goods during targeted raids across Geelong and Melbourne this week.
Police allege a group of offenders targeted 50 commercial properties including factories, warehouses, scrap yards, service stations and shops between July and October 14, stealing about $250,000 worth of property.
Geelong Tasking Crime and Intervention Taskforce Detective Senior Sergeant Stephen Pucar said 30 incidents occurred in Geelong, including:
A 35-YEAR-OLD Norlane man allegedly broke into an electronics retailer in Corio on September 6 and stole $11,000 worth of equipment including a number of drones, security cameras, a GoPro and a mobile phone;
THE NORLANE man, a 45year-old Corio man and third unknown offender allegedly committed four consecutive burglaries on October 5 at a sports store in South Geelong, a service station in Batesford, a liquor store in Highton and a metal factory in North Geelong. Items allegedly stolen included sports shoes and clothing, phone accessories, a display unit, tobacco products, copper piping and scrap metal; POLICE also allege the Norlane man, a Corio man and a third offender broke into a service station in East Geelong using an angle grinder and stole $6000 worth of cigarettes on October 14.
Detectives executed search warrants in Norlane, Corio and Burnside on Wednesday and arrested three men in relation to the burglaries.
Police seized allegedly stolen items during the property searches, including electrical cable worth about $100,000, copper piping, tools, mobile phones, a drone, clothing and numerous collectable Pokemon cards.
The Norlane man was charged with 20 counts of burglary, three counts of theft of motor vehicle, one count of handling stolen goods and multiple driving and bail offences.
The Corio man was charged with six counts of burglary.
Both men were remanded in custody and are expected to front Geelong Magistrates’ Court on November 5.
A Burnside man, 34, was arrested on Thursday and charged with three counts of handling stolen goods. He was remanded to appear before Sunshine Magistrates Court.
During a search of a Corio property police said they also seized about 30g of methamphetamine and $3070 from a vehicle at the property.
A 32-year-old Corio man was charged with trafficking a drug of dependence, possessing a drug of dependence and dealing in property suspected to be proceeds of crime. The charges were not in relation to the commercial burglaries.
He was bailed to appear before Geelong Magistrates Court on 11 February.
Sergeant Pucar said the arrests stemmed from a protracted joint investigation into a large series of burglaries that have had a profound impact on business owners.
“The very nature of these crimes is brazen and reckless and police will not tolerate those who cause harm to local businesses,” he said.
“The Geelong community can rest assured police will leave no stone unturned when it comes to holding organised, recidivist offenders to account.”