POSTAL BOXES ROBBED.

Otago Witness, Issue 3868, 1 May 1928, Page 75

POSTAL BOXES ROBBED.

CHEQUES AND MONEY MISSING. AUCKLAND, April 27. Post Office letter boxes in the various suburbs have been broken open during the past 10 days, and mail removed. As the disappearance of cheques and sums of money has been traced to this cause, postal authorities issue a warning to the public that documents or articles of a valuable nature should be handed in at the nearest post office for registration.

The first case of theft occurred at the corner of Remuera road and Ridings road on the night of April 16-17. Other caces that have since been reported indicate that the work is that of a person with a motor cycle or car, as the districts of Remuera, Epsom, Parnell, and Mount Albert have been visited in turn. The locks have been broken by force, showing that a heavy instrument has been used, and last evening in the Mount Albert area the correspondence was removed from four boxes. The assistant postmaster said to-day that an effort was being made to run the offender to earth, and in this the public could assist, as it should give rise to suspicion to observe anyone at a box for an unusually long time. A second or two was sufficient to post a letter, and at night the time of clearance could quickly be ascertained by striking a match. In all cases the interference had been after the 3 o’clock to 4 o’clock clearances in the afternoon by suburban messengers, and before the arrival of the chauffeur at 1 p.in. The Mount Albert discoveries were made about 1 a.m. to-day.