A man will appear in court today, August 20, after allegedly offending across the Auckland region for more than a year.
Police officers spotted his vehicle travelling through Ōtara on Tuesday.
“The vehicle was of interest to police in relation to a series of thefts from retailers, and our staff carried out a traffic stop,” Counties Manukau East Police’s senior sergeant Simon Cornish says.
“On speaking with the driver, staff established that he was a priority national target for the National Retail Investigation Support Unit.”
The 39-year-old man was arrested on the roadside.
“Police have laid 18 shoplifting charges against the man,” Cornish says.
“We will allege in court that he has offended at supermarkets, and other Auckland retailers, beginning in March, 2024.
“The latest offending occurred at retailers in Pakuranga and Wairau Valley, just earlier this month.”
He will appear in the Manukau District Court today.
“I’d like to acknowledge our Ōtara team for their work on bringing about this result, which means the man can be held accountable for his behaviour in court,” Cornish says.
