$50,000 Taken In Blenheim Burglary

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31656, 17 April 1968, Page 1

$50,000 Taken In Blenheim Burglary

(New Zealand Press Association)

BLENHEIM, April 16.

The Chief Postmaster in Blenheim (Mr J. J. Cronin) confirmed this afternoon that burglars had taken more than $50,000 from the strongroom in the Post Office Savings Bank at the week-end.

The amount he was able to name this afternoon was $50,971.52 but it could be more. Postal officers are still assessing stamps, postal notes and British postal orders. The manager of the bank (Mr J. D. H. Green) said that of the cash stolen, about $24,000 belonged to the Post Office and the balance to the Social Security Department. The burglary has set a New Zealand record, eclipsing the £19,000 stolen from the Waterfront Industry Commission in 1956.

A big team of detectives is working on the inquiries. Detective Sergeant A. W. Hedwig, from police district headquarters in Nelson, has taken charge, and experts have arrived from Wellington and Christchurch. HOLES CUT

The thieves cut with an oxyacetylene torch a neat 15in by 20in hole in the outer steel plate of the strongroom door and a 13in by 16in hole in the inner plate—just large enough for a small man to crawl through. The burglary was not discovered until this morning, but it could have taken place any time after 2 p.m. on Saturday, when the cleaners left. Experts say it would not have taken the thieves more than 15 to 20 minutes to cut through the door if they had worked without interruption. The savings bank was

closed today while police inquiries continued. It was not until this afternoon that the strongroom door was opened and the worst fears of Post Office staff and police were realised—that most, if not all, of the money the strongroom contained had been taken. The burglars struck at the right week-end as the Post Office held extra cash and about $26,000 in social security funds because of the bank holiday today. PROMISING LEAD Detective E. L. McLachlan, of the Blenheim C. 1.8., said

that the police were checking some cars which were seen near the scene during the week-end and had a promising lead.