Police dog unit foils 3.50am getaway by Dunedin car thieves

A Dunedin police dog unit made speedy arrests after they were alerted to a vehicle being stolen from Bridge St, Clyde Hill, about 3.50am on Saturday. Photo / File

By Timothy Brown

A pair of car thieves were caught red-handed after being spotted making their getaway by the vehicle's owner.

Dunedin police were alerted to a vehicle being stolen from Bridge St, Clyde Hill, about 3.50am on Saturday.

A unit was dispatched and quickly caught up with the men, who acknowledged the vehicle they were driving was not their own and they had stolen it only minutes before.

A police spokeswoman said unfortunately for the pair their arrest alerted police to other matters potentially linked to them and officers were now investigating their involvement in other thefts and burglaries.

"Someone saw them leaving the property,'' she said.

"We attended and they admitted they had just taken the vehicle.''

The pair were caught by a Dunedin dog unit.

One of the males was 20 years old, while the other was 44 years old.

"They have got charges of shoplifting and unlawfully taking a motor vehicle,'' the spokeswoman said.

- Otago Daily Times