Holiday haul
January 24 2012
Huge haul of stolen property uncovered by Bellarine Police
While Bellarine locals are warned to lock up their possessions at the start of every summer season, it is not always the summer visitors who are making the mischief.
This year a 23-year-old Drysdale man was responsible for one of the biggest hauls of stolen property uncovered by Bellarine Police. The man was found to be in possession of up to $20,000 of stolen goods after local police exercised a search warrant recently.
Much of the property, which included motorised scooters, an $8,000 racing bike, a number of bicycles and even a trailer, appears to have been taken from holidaymakers at Portarlington Holiday Park.
Bellarine police senior constable Peter Lake said a routine register check indicated its plates had been stolen, so an arrest warrant was obtained to search the driver’s address in an attempt to locate them.
The amount of stolen property uncovered had been something of a surprise and was a pretty big find, he said.
The man lived with his parents in the family home on De Burgh Road. He was arrested and bailed on charges of theft, burglary, possessing the proceeds of crime and possessing marijuana.
The task of reuniting the stolen property with its owners was now underway, and could be made more difficult by the fact that many of the items appear to have been stolen from campers, who may have already left the district.
The Portarlington Holiday Park appeared to have been a particular target, possibly because campers were less able, or forgot, to keep their outdoor equipment secure.
The trailer, which did not have a number plate, is believed to have been stolen from Leopold, but it could possibly have been taken from elsewhere in the Bellarine.
Senior Constable Lake said other from this major incident, the reported number of thefts was in line with last year.
Anyone who believed their property had been stolen should contact the Bellarine Police Station, where they would be asked to describe the missing item.
Items which are not claimed are eventually auctioned, Senior Constable Lake said, but the police should be contacted even if theft is not suspected until a considerable time after property could have been stolen.
