East Auckland thief caught red-handed with nine credit cards

Accused allegedly stole mail from letterboxes, disposing of some in a nearby rubbish bin.. Photo / Unsplash

An East Auckland thief was caught red-handed with nine credit cards and 20 letters after an Orakei resident caught them looking in letterboxes.

Auckland East response manager Senior Sergeant Megan Dalton said the resident came home on Saturday evening to find the offender snooping around his property and prying open letterboxes on their street.

“The man was observed allegedly removing mail from a letterbox, opening the mail and removing items from within the envelope, then disposing of the envelope in a nearby rubbish bin,” Dalton said.

When police arrived on the scene, the man was found across the road from the victim’s home and was arrested.

“A subsequent search of the man located approximately 20 personalised letters and nine credit cards in his pockets,” Dalton said.

The 38-year-old man will face multiple charges in the Auckland District Court later this week, including unlawfully being in an enclosed yard and theft.

Dalton said this was a “great example of if you see something, say something”.

“We need the public to report any suspicious activity so we can conduct inquiries and hold offenders to account,” Dalton said

“If you see suspicious behaviour and it is happening now please contact police on 111 or if it is after the fact, contact police on 105 or online.”