Tararua police files: Stolen property, burglary and Facebook marketplace

Police in the Tararua district have been kept busy with burglaries.

Search warrants

Pahīatua police staff, led by Acting Sergeant Nic Reilly, executed search warrants at two Pahīatua locations on Thursday, October 12, 2023. As a result of these warrants, stolen property from commercial burglaries in Pahīatua was recovered, along with ammunition. A Pahīatua resident has appeared in the Palmerston North District Court on charges of burglary.

Burglary

A man and woman were also arrested in the rural Woodville area on October 11, 2023 and have been charged with burglary following the theft of fuel from a commercial premises there. Both now face burglary charges. Good-quality security cameras installed by the victims of this offending were instrumental in capturing these offenders.

We continue to see burglary offences occurring across the Tararua area. In urban areas, electrical tools seem to be a hot commodity, and in rural settings, fuel, farm bikes, trailers and tools appear to be frequent targets.

Please remember to remove keys from all vehicles when they are not in use, as this makes them harder to steal and is often a condition of your insurance. Consider recording the serial numbers of all tools and equipment - although this might not prevent items from being taken, it may be the only way we can get them back to you if they are taken.

Facebook Marketplace

There are a significant number of complaints being received by police about financial losses as the result of fraudulent online sales in forums such as Facebook Marketplace. Please exercise caution if you are purchasing items this way, and consider using reputable sites, which often have third-party security around payments; alternatively, don’t part with your money until you physically have the goods. It is often difficult for police to identify offenders, and even if the offender is brought before the court, there is no guarantee the victim will get their money back in a timely manner.