Police have leads on big thefts

Press, 22 October 1980, Page 1

Police have leads on big thefts

Detectives of the/Chrisfchurch police break, squad are following strong leads in two big inquiries’ — into an $BOOO jewellery raid and the theft of 4000' cheques from a Riccarton bank. a More thaw'sBooo'. worth of jewellery was, snatched from the window of, Peterson’s Jewellers,/ Ltd,- - in» .New Regent Street, about 11 p.m. on Monday' after . the glass had -.been smashed with a ' heavy ■object. A taxi-driver chased a white Valiant.car from the .scene, but lost it. The police later found the car abandoned at the

corner of Bafbadaes Street and , Purclias Street,' St .Albans, with only a stolen clock left inside. The haul included opal jewellery, hand-carved greenstone objects, and a • number, of; - semi-precious

pieces and carriage clocks. . The shop was . the target of a big smash-and-grab ■ raid two years ago. About $15,000 worth of jewellery was stolen after security ■screens had been pulled from another window. The management was having new security screens built for the window, which was broken in the latest raid.

None of the 4000 cheques stolen in a burglary of the Bank of New Zealand at Riccarton early on Monday have surfaced so far, according to the police.

The cheques are esti-mated-'to be \ worth more than $200,000, all drawn on the Bank of . New Zealand, Riccarton. All have some bank stamp on the front or back, and a 10digit computer number on the' lower right hand side.

No arrest had been made in either inquiry by last evening, but the police had several promisingr leads, a C. 1.8. spokesman said.