Officers in east Auckland got more than they bargained for after nabbing not one but two shoplifters yesterday.
Police received a call regarding a suspected shoplifter attempting to leave a supermarket in Botany Downs yesterday afternoon.
Senior Sergeant Simon Cornish, Counties Manukau East Police, says officers arrived and quickly located the alleged offender.
"A search of her vehicle located a number of items, which we believe had also been stolen from several other stores at Botany."
He says further enquiries revealed the woman had allegedly taken items valued at more than $1000 from homeware stores.
Senior Sergeant Cornish says while the officer was making enquiries at one of the retail stores, another woman attempted to leave the shop with more than $700 worth of items she hadn't paid for.
"Safe to say she was arrested on the spot," he says.
"We continue to work with our community to reduce retail crime through our response and prevention work and this was a great example of retailers alerting us to these incidents.
"Our message to retailers is to stay vigilant, and to report any behaviour that looks suspicious.
"And to anyone considering shoplifting, Police will continue to take every opportunity to identify and prosecute those involved in this offending."
A 41-year-old woman will appear in Manukau District Court on Thursday charged with six counts of shoplifting, while a 36-year-old woman will appear on the same date charged with one count of shoplifting.
