THIEVES DISTURBED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25504, 6 April 1944, Page 6

THIEVES DISTURBED

SIPHONING PETROL FROM CAR SEVERAL CRIMES REPORTED A burglary at Waikouaiti, where a garage was entered, an attempted burglary at the Caversham Post Office, and a case of attempted theft of petrol from a taxi are at present being investigated by the police. All the offences were committed on Tuesday night. The circumstances of the attempted theft of petrol suggest that it was the work of an organised gang. At 3.30 yesterday morning, Mr George West, an employee of Dunedin Taxis, Ltd., was awakened by a noise outside his residence in Chapman street, Kaikorai. On going outside, he saw two men interfering with a taxi which had been parked there for the night. The two men ran away when they saw Mr West, leaving behind them equipment which suggested that they were not novices at the task of breaking locks and siphoning petrol. Mr West, found that the petrol-tank lock on the taxi had been broken and that the two men had apparently started to siphon cut the contents of the tank. A pair of pincers, which had evidently been used for breaking the lock, had been left by the men, and there was also a four-gallon petrol tin, around which was affixed an iron frame for carrying purposes. There were also several feet of siphoning tube which showed signs of wear. All the equipment, with the exception of the pincers, was painted black or dark brown so that it would not be easily discernible at night. Several minor thefts of petrol from parked cars have been reported In recent weeks, and the police hope that the evidence found by Mr West yesterday morning may assist in tracing the culprits. The police also report that between 10.30 p.m. on Tuesday and 8 a.m. yesterday, Patterson’s garage at Waikouaiti was broken into and a quantity of goods stolen. Among the missing articles are a motor tyre, two tubes, several bicycle tubes, and a number of torch batteries.

The attempt to enter the Caversham Post Office was discovered by members of the staff when they reported for duty yesterday morning. They noticed marks cn the main door which suggested that a jemmy had been used without success.