SYDNEY, Oct 30 — Authorities have successfully retrieved over 40,000 limited edition Bluey coins that were swiped from a Sydney warehouse earlier this year.
As reported by ABC News, a third suspect has been arrested, with police alleging that 27-year-old Christina Vale from Western Sydney acted as the getaway driver during the heist.
She was taken into custody early Tuesday morning at a property in Green Valley and charged at Liverpool Police Station with aggravated break and enter and handling stolen goods.
Vale was brought before the Liverpool Local Court yesterday but was denied bail, with her next appearance scheduled for November 28.
According to ABC News, the heist occurred on July 12, when NSW Police reported that a whopping 63,000 Bluey-themed A$1 (RM2.88) coins had disappeared from a warehouse in Wetherill Park.
These shiny collectibles, created by the Royal Australian Mint, showcase characters from the beloved ABC kids’ cartoon and were meant to launch in September. With a value exceeding A$600,000, this treasure trove was definitely one for fans!
The State Crime Command’s Robbery and Serious Crime Squad kicked off an investigation under the entertaining title of Strike Force Bandit — named after Bluey’s dad in the show.
Two other suspects, 47-year-old Steven John Neilson, said to be a former employee of the warehouse, and 44-year-old Nassar Kanj, were arrested in August and are still awaiting trial.
In a previous search during Neilson’s arrest, police discovered 189 of the missing coins.
Fast forward to yesterday, and detectives unearthed more than 40,000 coins at a self-storage facility in Wentworthville, including bags from the Royal Australian Mint containing a total of A$40,061 in stolen Bluey coins.
Interestingly, some of these coins might have found their way into general circulation, with a few even turning up in the possession of unsuspecting collectors back in August.
