Attributable to Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Baird, Southland Area Investigations Manager:
Two young people have been charged and Police are appealing for information following recent incidents of unlawfully interfering and taking of motor vehicles in Southland.
Police apprehended the two youth in Balclutha after a vehicle previously stolen from Flemington Road, Woodlands Invercargill, was located outside a Dairy on Essex Street around 11am, Sunday 14 July.
The two youth were located nearby and transported to appear before the Dunedin Youth Court today, Monday 15 July, on charges of unlawfully taking a motor vehicle and possessing instruments for conversion.
Police were also alerted to several reports of cars being tampered with and two vehicles taken from Invercargill and Gore addresses overnight Saturday/ early morning Sunday.
Enquiries remain ongoing to determine if the thefts and tampering were linked.
Police work hard to hold offenders who target our tight knit Southland communities to account, and this is a good example of our inter-area coordination.
Police continue to appeal for information to assist in our investigations.
The further reports of vehicle tampering occurred on Elizabeth and Ardwick Streets Gore, John Street Heidelberg, and Nelson Street Strathern.
If you have any video footage or witnessed vehicle tampering or theft in the Gore, or Invercargill area overnight Sunday 14 July please contact Police.
You can report information to Police by calling 105 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Please reference file number 240714/1339.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre