Police have laid additional charges as investigations continue over property allegedly stolen during recent bushfires on the state’s South Coast.
About 3pm on Friday (10 January), officers from South Coast Police District and the Southern Region Enforcement Squad (RES) executed a search warrant at a home in Narooma, following reports of looting in the South Coast region.
During the search, police located a number of electrical items, which are alleged to have been stolen during recent bushfires. These items were seized to undergo forensic examination.
A 31-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man have been charged and remain before the courts.
About 7.30pm Saturday (11 January 2020), officers stopped a Mazda 6 sedan on George Bass Drive, Batemans Bay.
During a search of the vehicle, police located and seized mobile phones.
Police will allege in court that the phones had been stolen from a fire-damaged business in Batemans Bay on Wednesday (8 January 2020).
A 26-year-old man, who was the front seat passenger, was arrested at the scene and taken to Batemans Bay Police Station, where he was charged with receive property-theft – serious indictable offence.
Following further inquiries, police today (Wednesday 22 January 2020), charged the 26-year-old man with larceny and enter premises and commit indictable offence-larceny.
He remains bail refused to appear at Batemans Bay Local Court on Monday 10 February 2020.
Investigations are continuing.
The NSW Police Force is providing a high-visibility presence to deter criminal activity throughout the current bushfire emergency and assist other emergency services to ensure bushfire-affected areas are safe for the community to return as quickly as possible.
Local police numbers have been bolstered by officers from specialist commands to conduct regular patrols throughout bushfire-affected areas.
Anyone with information about unsafe or unlawful behaviour in the bushfire affected region is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au.
In the event of an emergency, contact Triple Zero (000).
Information is treated in strict confidence.
