Operation Hotpot: More complaints made about garden pot thefts

Police are asking for the owners of these pot plants to contact them. Photo / Police

By RNZ

Police have received 16 more complaints amid a crime spree of plant pot thefts from Palmerston North front yards.

Operation Hotpot, an investigation by the CIB and Tactical Crime Unit, saw multiple search warrants executed on Monday, June 17 and two men arrested.

The men, aged 38 and 40, have been charged with two and 16 charges of burglary respectively.

Since police revealed the investigation into the burglaries in the suburbs of Kelvin Grove and Cloverlea, more victims of the crime have come forward.

“Police have received a further 16 complaints that occurred during the relevant time period.”

In total, police have now received between 30 and 40 complaints of burglaries taking place over a short period from the beginning of May.

It said each of the complaints involved thefts of one or two items, such as pots or statues.

Photos of the recovered pots shared by police last Monday have now been returned to their owners, but a few new items have been found and are in the process of being matched to the reports received.

Police said the stolen items had sentimental value to their owners, who had been deeply affected by the thefts.

No further arrests had been made but police said further charges were likely to be filed.

This type of offending has now stopped.

- RNZ