Market forces of stealing to order

Most people despise burglars but, as DIANA McCURDY finds, where there is demand there is also supply.

Burglars and middlemen commonly flog off their stolen goods through Trade and Exchange, pawn shops and websites such as Trademe, police say.

It's all about supply and demand, Detective Sergeant Simon Scott says. "People steal to order. When there is a market for something - no matter what the commodity is - we will see that these things are being stolen."

Consider the notorious Auckland burglar Tuainekore Moeroa, 26, who was sent to prison for more than 50 burglaries in May. "We thought when we arrested him and placed two of his associates behind bars that we would see a reduction in the amount of burglaries," says Scott.

"But we didn't. So what's it saying? It's a market and people are stealing to order and those people are really just pawns in a game."

Last year, widescreen televisions were all the rage. Now, lawnmowers are hot property. Supply and demand is such a strong driver that some offenders treat the concept literally. Pukekohe senior sergeant Rob Arnold recently apprehended a burglar in the North Waikato who was advertising for buyers before he had even stolen the goods.

"He will visit a property and know the stuff is there. He will then advertise it in Trade and Exchange and then go and steal it and deliver it directly to the buyer. So it never goes to his house or to a shed."

The enterprising burglar also kept a close eye on the "Wanted to Buy" columns. "If they want to buy a horse float he will go and out and steal one and deliver it straight to the buyer."

The buyer, of course, has no idea they are receiving freshly stolen goods.

Other burglars use middlemen with links to otherwise legitimate businesses. One 41-year-old former career burglar who spoke to the Weekend Herald on condition of anonymity, says he used to make $1000 to $2000 a week by stealing gold jewellery for a professional jeweller. The jeweller had her own shop and melted down the stolen gold, making it impossible to trace.

He never met the jeweller personally, but dealt with her through a fence (middleman). When the burglar was finally caught, the police discovered $90,000 worth of jewellery and precious stones in his house.

"My fence only wanted the gold," he said, "so I was picking the stones out and I had bowls of diamonds and rubies, so it added up."

But while the burglar served time, the jeweller and fence were never caught. "The only information came from me and I was silent all the way."

Tinny houses and P laboratories have strong links to burglary, too. When Constable Peter Reynolds of the Mt Wellington burglary squad recently shut down three tinny houses within walking distance of each other in Panmure, burglaries dropped dramatically.

"The burglaries in that area - you could just see it - mainly from young people after cash and stuff to buy drugs. It's black and white."