Cops desperate to speak to mystery man after thief left a trail of carnage through upmarket suburb when he ripped more than 100 number plates from parked cars
- Police looking for thief who stole number plates
- More than 100 cars in one suburb were affected
Police are searching for a thief who stole more than 100 number plates from parked cars in an early morning crime spree.
Between 1am and 5am on Sunday, more than 100 vehicles in the Brighton-Le-Sands area, 13km south of Sydney, had their plates removed and stolen.
Streets targeted included Bay, O’Neill, Bay, Princess, Bruce and Gordon Streets, Crawford and Teralba Roads, Brighton and Moate Avenues.
As investigations continue, police have released CCTV image of a man they wish to speak to who may be able to assist with their enquiries.
The man is described as being of Mediterranean/Middle Eastern appearance, aged 25 to 30-years-old, of medium build, a bald head, and dark beard.
Police have now released CCTV image of a man they wish to speak to after more than 100 cars in Brighton-Le-Sands had their number plates stolen on Sunday
Streets targeted included Bay, O’Neill, Bay, Princess, Bruce and Gordon Streets, Crawford and Teralba Roads, Brighton and Moate Avenues in the Brighton-Le-Sands area (stock image pictured)
He is shown wearing a black t-shirt, grey shorts and thongs.
A video uploaded to social media on the weekend showed carnage across four streets in Brighton-Le-Sands, with thieves either completely stealing car number plates or bending them out of shape.
Number plates are commonly targeted by criminals who place them on other vehicles to avoid being caught when breaking the law.
Police may then issue fines or even arrest the unsuspecting motorists who had their number plates stolen.
Community groups are urging drivers to increase both security and anti-theft measures to curb the outbreak of number plate crime.
Instances of plate thefts have jumped in Australia since the pandemic as criminals become more savvy, moving on from syphoning fuel and breaking into cars to steal belongings.
While the latter still happens, police and the RACV have warned drivers to secure their plates in order to avoid receiving thousands in backlogged fines in the mail.
A video uploaded to social media showed cars in Brighton-Le-Sands having had their number plates removed
Police and community groups have started urging drivers to increase both security and anti-theft measures to curb the spate of criminal acts
‘Offenders use stolen number plates on cars to help them carry out other crimes without being traced and identified,’ a RACV spokesperson said in a statement.
‘The Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce (VACC) reports that over 50 per cent of fuel theft, and various other crimes, involves stolen number plates.’
Along with thieves using other’s plates and registration to get away with not paying for fuel, other more serious crimes include burglaries, drug trafficking, and avoiding speeding, parking and tollway fees.
Anyone who may have information is urged to call police.
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