TAMWORTH police have charged a 52-year-old truck driver accused of stealing hundreds of smartphones, tablet computers and SIM cards worth about $90,000.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It follows an investigation by Oxley Local Area Command detectives who had been watching the man’s actions as he transported the devices from Sydney to a Tamworth depot.
The truck driver will soon face court after police executed a search warrant in Tamworth this week and seized some of the allegedly stolen communication devices.
Police allege the man accessed the truck’s contents on a number of occasions and stole the devices, which included mobile phones, tablet computers and SIM cards.
On Monday, police executed the search warrant at an Oak St home where they allegedly located a number of the devices.
About 110 items, mostly smartphones, are still missing.
The truck driver was issued a future court attendance notice for 13 stealing offences and he is expected to face Tamworth Local Court on February 4.
Police say the total value of the property could be about $90,000.
They believe many of the missing devices have been distributed for sale in Tamworth and surrounding districts through private sales and possibly online.
Oxley Local Area Command crime manager Inspector Phil O’Reilly says if anyone suspects they have possession of one of the stolen devices, they should hand it in to police.
“We’re trying to trace the chain of custody of stolen items from the accused person. Each device has a unique identification which can be tracked,” he said.
“Persons in possession of stolen telecommunications equipment may face prosecution for possession of those items.”