Routine patrolling in Avondale has bagged a prolific shoplifter.
Late on Tuesday night, a frontline unit conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle sought by Police on Blockhouse Bay Road.
¡°It was around 11.43pm, when staff were carrying out prevention patrolling in the area,¡± Auckland City West Area Commander, Inspector Alisse Robertson says.
¡°The vehicle was stopped as its registered owner was sought by Police.
¡°The man was not the registered owner but after speaking with the driver further, his identity was established.¡±
Inspector Robertson says the man had numerous warrants for his arrest over dishonesty offending, including shoplifting.
¡°The man was a person of interest to our National Retail Investigation Support Unit.
¡°He was arrested on the roadside, and while he was being spoken to Police observed methamphetamine inside the vehicle.¡±
Police have since charged the man with more than 20 shoplifting offences, along with possession of methamphetamine.
¡°We will allege he was responding for offending at retail stores right across the city, with nearly $10,000 in offending since September,¡± Inspector Robertson says.
The 34-year-old man has appeared in the Auckland District Court and will reappear on 19 March.
¡°This is a great outcome from our staff and is another example of the work going into targeting recidivist retail crime offenders.¡±
ENDS.
Jarred Williamson/51½ÖÉä