A 50-year-old Goonellabah man has been charged, and an ATM recovered from the Tweed River, following a police operation.
Strike Force Feodore – comprising detectives from Richmond Local Area Command – was formed to investigate the theft of three automatic teller machines between August 2016 and March 2017.
Police allege the ATMs containing cash were stolen along with property totalling more than $100,000.
On August 2 last year a business at Park Street, Brunswick Heads, was broken into. More than $4,000 worth or property was stolen.
On January 22 this year a business at Ballina Street, Lennox Head, was broken into with $700 cash stolen.
On February 7, the same premises at Lennox Head was broken into again with $70,000 cash stolen from an ATM.
A restaurant in Mermaid Beach was broken into during February and $10,000 was stolen from the ATM there together with 50 packets of cigarettes.
On March 3 a pizza shop in Brunswick Heads was broken into. An ATM containing $12,000 was stolen.
On March 17 police carried out a search warrant on a 50 year old Goonellabah man’s storage shed and recovered property related to the above offences.
On May 10 the 50-year-old Goonellabah man was brought from Grafton Correctional Centre to Lismore Police Station.
One of the stolen ATMs was recovered from the Tweed River by Police Divers on Sunday 5 March 2017.
As a result of investigations, a 49-year-old man was arrested yesterday (Wednesday 10 May 2017) at a a home in Lismore.
He’s been charged with
•Breaking, entering and stealing: value less than $60,000
• Breaking, entering and stealing: value greater than $60,000 (four counts)
• Knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime
• Receiving/disposing of stolen property.
The man has been remanded in custody to appear in Lismore Local Court on Tuesday 6 June 17.
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