A 44-year-old Murwillumbah man is charged with stealing around $30,000 worth of irrigation pipe and equipment from a commercial fruit and vegetable farm in Cudgen.
Police say the Cudgen farmer reported the theft last Tuesday 6 February, with officers from the Rural Crime Prevention Team and Rural Crime Investigators from the Richmond Police District investigating.
Two days later, officers stopped a 44-year-old man travelling east in a white Toyota ute on Tweed Valley Way near Murwillumbah around 3pm.
A large amount of irrigation pipe is said to have been stacked on the ute which police allege was stolen from the Cudgen farm.
The accused man was to appear at the Tweed Heads Local Court on Friday in relation to charges of stealing, entering enclosed agricultural lands and interfering with business, driving with a disqualified licence and offences relating to false and misleading number plates on a vehicle.
Police say their investigations continue.
Meanwhile, the Rural Crime Prevention Team says there are several ways people can report rural crimes, including a dedicated hotline on 131 444, or via Crime Stoppers on 1300 333 000.
Good work police.