Police recovered more than 40,000 stolen Bluey coins in a raid on a storage facility.
63,000 limited edition $1 Bluey coins produced by the Royal Australian Mint were reported stolen from a warehouse in the western Sydney suburb of Wetherill Park on July 12.
Detectives from the State Crime Command’s Robbery and Serious Crime Branch executed a search warrant at a storage facility in Wentworthville, in Sydney’s west, about 3.30pm on Tuesday.
During the search, detectives located numerous bags from the Royal Australian Mint containing a total of $40,061 of stolen Bluey coins.
Police also located and seized several power tools, clothing and bags, all of which are believed to have been stolen.
The recovery of the coins comes after New South Wales police arrested Christina Vale, 27, at her home in Green Valley, southwest of Sydney, at 6.55am on Tuesday and alleged she was the getaway driver in Bluey’s brazen coin heist.
Vale was charged with three counts of aggravated breaking and entering to commit a felony and disposition of stolen property valued at less than $5,000.
Police will allege she was the driver of the alleged home invasion.
Detectives from the State Crime Command’s Robbery and Serious Crime Branch executed a search warrant at a storage facility in Wentworthville, western Sydney, about 3.30pm on Tuesday.
Detectives located numerous bags from the Royal Australian Mint containing a total of $40,061 of stolen Bluey coins.
He was refused bail and appeared at Liverpool Local Court on Tuesday.
Vale was denied bail and will appear in court again on November 28.
He is the third person charged after Steven John Neilson, 47, was arrested in August and another man, Nassar Kanj, 44, was arrested two weeks later.
Both remain before the courts.
The arrests came after police initially confiscated some of the coins allegedly stolen from the home of a legitimate coin collector.
63,000 limited edition $1 Bluey coins produced by the Royal Australian Mint were reported stolen from a warehouse in the western Sydney suburb of Wetherill Park on July 12.
Investigations under Strike Force Bandit continue.
The strike force is named after Bluey’s on-screen father, Bandit.
Detectives will allege that Nielsen worked at the warehouse and that his position helped the alleged criminals steal the coins.
Earlier, officers released CCTV footage of a third man in an attempt to find him and secure more missing coins.
He was seen outside a bank in Revesby after the alleged robbery.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.