$12,000 shock for burglars

Press, 5 August 1981, Page 1

$12,000 shock for burglars

Criminals who may have thought that police efficiency had been reduced because of the Springbok tour were given a shock by Christchurch detectives yesterday. Stolen goods worth at least 512.01 N) were recovered from houses in Christchurch and court appearances will follow. “They arc not going to be able to get away with this sort of thing." said Detective Sergeant P. N. Gardiner ye-

sterday. “We can still do our job.” In a detectives’ room at the Central Police Station last evening, bicycles, stereo equipment. oxy-acetylene tools, and a variety of other items, valued at $7OOO, lay on the floor. Detective Sergeant Gardiner said that these goods were discovered by detectives in three private houses. The police had established

that the goods were among $20,000 worth taken from several Christchurch businesses during the last 10 days, he said. The offences included smash-and-grab raids. A C. 1.8. truck was used to take the goods to the station and detectives spent most of yesterday processing them. Detective Sergeant N. T. Higgson could not estimate the value of another “haul"

that officers under his command had made yesterday. An arc welder worth about $4OOO and a variety of other goods were raised from police vehicles to the third floor of the station in a basket pulled up by chain. The “owner” of the goods was due for a disagreeable surprise late last evening. He was expected to arrive home to a relatively sparse house and a reception by detectives.