Police in Adelaide, Australia have recovered a stash of stolen LEGO sets and other toys estimated to be worth a quarter of a million dollars (AUD).
An Australian man has been charged with theft after Adelaide police found a stash of LEGO sets and other toys worth $250,000 (AUD) (£120,800). It's thought that the sets were sold from department stores across Adelaide.
Around 2,500 items were uncovered, including 1,700 unopened LEGO sets and an array of other toys like soft toys, water guns and toy trucks with brands such as Pokémon, Barbie, Hello Kitty and Thomas the Tank Engine. South Australian Police (SAPOL) raided the man's home on Saturday, August 31 and believe he was planning to sell the sets online for a profit.
This marks the largest seizure of stolen retail items in the state, with the items filling three trucks when it came to remove them. The 41-year-old man is due to appear in Port Adelaide Magistrates Court on September 30.
"The size of the haul is significant and indicates the depth of the alleged offending," John De Candia from South Australia Police said in a public statement. “Operation Measure (a retail theft initiative) will continue to target recidivist offenders we believe are responsible for the majority of the offending of this nature.
“This type of theft is not victimless. Those who purchase cheap goods from online sites are unwittingly facilitating this crime and we would urge them to consider this.’’
SAPOL reported that its ongoing efforts to reduce retail theft have had a positive impact, with June marking a 6% reduction in incidents, dropping from 18,343 to 17,225 offences.
This particular incident marks a high-value amount of stolen LEGO, yet it's not the highest that's been seen, with a previous amount valued at $400,000 (USD) recovered in Texas.
Featured image: SAPOL
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