A police seminar to help business owners combat shoplifting has already led to the arrest of two alleged serial shoplifters in Waipapa.
A 22-year-old man and 35-year-old woman were arrested on Thursday and charged with multiple shoplifting offences as well as a burglary in Kaikohe, in which a quad bikewas taken.
They appeared in the Kaikohe District Court yesterday.
The pair were spotted by staff at a Waipapa business who had attended a "shoplifting expo" in Kerikeri a week earlier.
The expo, organised by Far North police and the Kerikeri Business Association, aimed to reduce theft by bringing businesses up to speed with shoplifting trends, prevention tips and detection techniques.
About 50 people attended, including a community patrol group from West Auckland who read about the seminar on the Northern Advocate's website.
Senior Sergeant Chris McLellan said the arrests were the result of excellent work by the Waipapa business.
"This shows the Shoplifting Expo has already paid dividends. We've had some great feedback from businesses thanking us for supporting them in preventing this crime."
