Cops desperate to talk to mystery man after thief left a trail of carnage in an upscale suburb when he ripped more than 100 license plates from parked cars
- Police looking for thief who stole license plates
- More than 100 cars in a suburb were affected
Police are searching for a thief who stole more than 100 license 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 license plates taken and stolen.
Target streets included Bay, O’Neill, Bay, Princess, Bruce and Gordon streets, Crawford and Teralba Roads, Brighton and Moate Avenues.
As investigations continue, police have released a CCTV image of a man they wish to speak to who could help them with their enquiries.
The man is described as Mediterranean/Middle Eastern in appearance, 25-30 years of age, with a medium build, bald head and dark beard.
Police have now released a CCTV image of a man they wish to speak to after more than 100 cars in Brighton-Le-Sands had their license plates stolen on Sunday.
Target streets included Bay, O’Neill, Bay, Princess, Bruce and Gordon streets, Crawford and Teralba Roads, Brighton and Moate Avenues in the Brighton-Le-Sands area (file image pictured)
He is shown wearing a black tank top, gray shorts, and thongs.
A video uploaded to social media at the weekend showed a carnage in four streets of Brighton-Le-Sands, with thieves either stealing car number plates entirely or deforming them.
License plates are often targeted by criminals who affix them to other vehicles to avoid being caught breaking the law.
Police can then issue tickets or even arrest unsuspecting motorists who had their license plates stolen.
Community groups are urging drivers to increase both security and anti-theft measures to curb the outbreak of license plate crime.
Cases of plate theft have risen in Australia since the pandemic as criminals get smarter, shifting from siphoning fuel and breaking into cars to steal belongings.
While the latter still happens, police and the RACV have warned drivers to secure their license plates to avoid receiving thousands in back tickets in the mail.
A video uploaded to social media showed cars in Brighton-Le-Sands having their number plates removed.
Police and community groups have begun urging drivers to increase security and anti-theft measures to curb the wave of crime.
“Criminals use stolen car license plates to help them carry out other crimes without being tracked and identified,” a RACV spokesperson said in a statement.
‘The Victorian Motor Chamber of Commerce (VACC) reports that more than 50 per cent of fuel theft, and various other crimes, involve stolen license plates.’
Along with thieves using others’ license plates and registrations to avoid paying for gas, other more serious crimes include burglaries, drug dealing, and speeding, parking, and toll fare evasion.
Anyone who may have information is urged to call the police.