AN Edithvale man has been charged after police seized allegedly stolen credit cards and Pokemon cards, as well as drugs, during a raid last week.
Police executed a warrant at a rental property in Box Hill North last week, 3 March. Inside they allegedly seized more than 70 credit cards and identification cards, tools, collectable Pokemon cards, mail, around 20ml of 1.4-butanediol (GHB), a small amount of methylamphetamine, “drug cutting agents”, and a stolen vehicle with fraudulent number plates.
Police arrested a 26-year-old Edithvale man when he returned to the short-stay rental. They allege that they also found 100ml of 1.4-butanediol, around 50g of methylamphetamine, some cannabis, a home-modified handgun, and ammunition inside his car.
Police say that the alleged offender also used a fraudulent bank cheque to purchase a “luxury vehicle” for $28,000. The man was charged with obtain property by deception, prohibited person possess firearm, possess 1,4-butanediol (GHB), possess methylamphetamine, possess cannabis, theft of motor vehicle, handle stolen goods, deal with proceeds of crime, and commit indictable offence whilst on bail.
Whitehorse Crime Investigation Unit Detective Sergeant Gerald Muileman said “a Pandora’s box of criminal offending was well and truly opened during the course of Thursday’s search warrant. This serves as a warning to all those would-be criminals out there that you cannot slip under our radar.”
“Whether we’re investigating vehicle crime or petty theft, we make it our mission to never have tunnel vision. Last week’s arrest is testament that this modus operandi works when it comes to netting some of our more serious offenders,” he said. “To all those who think they have the right to break into someone’s car and steal their personal belongings for your own personal use – it’s only a matter of time before police catch up with you. When we do, you can expect to face the full force of the law.”
The man was remanded to face Ringwood Magistrate’s Court on 29 April 2022. A 20-year-old man was also arrested but was released pending further enquiries.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 9 March 2022