Victim’s info fails to nail thieves

After laptops and goods worth $12,000 were stolen from him, an Auckland man tracked the gear down to a suburban house and waited nearby for police to arrive.

But Aayush Tandon, 28, said despite multiple calls and a bucketload of information provided, police did nothing to help him. “It’s more frustrating than the actual robbery.

“We could see it moving in front of our eyes and nobody came to help.”

Police say they are investigating, after the Herald made inquiries, and said that when Tandon called, other jobs had to take priority.

Tandon’s case highlights opportunities and challenges device-tracking technology provides crime victims.

He said someone stole from his car parked in Mt Roskill about 2.30pm last Thursday.

“We were able to track their location with the help of iPhone tracker,” he said. “We knew the exact location of their property and provided police with the car rego as well but nobody came to help.”

Tandon said he could see people at the Massey property but the alleged thieves or recipients of stolen goods left before police arrived.

Police confirmed he gave location tracking information about his devices, including two Apple MacBooks.

But unfortunately this information alone wasn’t enough to enable officers to search, police said.

But they said positive lines of inquiry were being followed, including possible CCTV footage.

Private investigator Julia Hartley Moore said people were increasingly using location-tracking technology in different ways.

She said Tandon appeared to have used the technology sensibly.

“You’ve got to be so careful once you track someone down. At least he had enough sense not to [confront them].”

Hartley Moore said it was the job of police, not private investigators or other civilians, to track down thieves.