DUNEDIN ROBBERIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 55, 7 March 1939, Page 11

DUNEDIN ROBBERIES.

LOADED RIFLES FOUND.

CARS AND CYCLES TAKEN.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

DUNEDIN, Monday.

One of the most daring series of robberies committed in Dunedin for years occurred during the week-end. The robberies apparently were preceded by the theft of a truck belonging to the Christchurch City Council and three 44-gallon drums of petrol belonging to the Atlantic Union Oil Company, Christchurch, on Friday night.

The thieves seem to have headed for Dunedin, and it is suggested that they may have been connected with raids on Howorth's radio shop in George Street and on the premises of R. Longton Jones, Limited, electricians, in Moray Place, in the early hours of Sundav morning. Property similar to that stolen from these premises was recovered from a wrecked truck foiiiid near Geraldine this morning. Vehicle Abandoned. These raids, however, appear to be only a small part of the thieves' activities. Between eight and nine o'clock on Saturday night a motor car was taken from Anzac Square, Dunedin, and was found abandoned at 2.30 a.m. on Sunday stripped of its tyres, spare wheel and other parts.

On Saturday night also the police were on the lookout for and actually chased another car which, it is alleged, was used for the robberies, and was later found abandoned at Anderson's Bay. Two motor bicycles were also stolen from Dunedin during the night, and it is presumed that the thieves continued their journey on these after the accident to the truck near Geraldine. Tyres and accessories from the first car were found in the abandoned truck along with three loaded rifles, and police throughout the South Island are on the lookout for the marauders.