A man will face court today charged with a range of property and firearm offences after allegedly breaking into houses and stealing property during the bushfires on the state’s South Coast earlier this year.
In the first week of January 2020, South Coast Police District commenced an investigation after receiving reports of alleged break, enter and steals occurring in the Malua Bay area while people were evacuated from their homes.
Following extensive inquiries, officers from the South Coast Proactive Crime Team executed a search warrant at a property in Mogo about 8am yesterday (Thursday 26 March 2020).
Officers located and seized a replica assault rifle (gel blaster), gel blaster ammunition, cannabis, a taser shaped as a baton, electronic goods and homemade mace.
A 37-year-old man was arrested and taken to Batemans Bay Police Station, where he was charged with the following:
– break, enter and steal,
– take and drive conveyance without consent of owner (x2),
– receiving stolen property,
– goods in custody suspected stolen (x2),
– drive vehicle whilst unlicensed (x2),
– acquire firearm subject to prohibition order,
– acquire ammunition subject to prohibition order,
– use prohibited weapon contrary to prohibition order.
The man was refused bail and is due to face Batemans Bay Local Court today (Friday 27 March 2020).
The same day (Thursday 26 March 2020), police executed a second search warrant at a property in Mogo, where cannabis was allegedly located and seized. A 52-year-old man will be issued a future court attendance notice in relation to possession of prohibited drug and will face court at a later date.
