Thieves have stolen $15,000 worth of Lego from a toy store in Seymour, north of Melbourne, in two separate break-ins. Police say the offenders first broke into the store on Station Street just over a week ago, stealing $10,000 worth of the popular toy before fleeing in an unidentified vehicle.
The burglars returned sometime between Sunday afternoon and Monday morning, stealing items worth $5,000, including Lego 'City' and Lego 'Technic' sets. Detective Senior Constable Ian Porter said the thieves had glazing experience and removed an entire glass panel from a front automatic sliding door.
During the first heist, the thieves also took the store's CCTV hard drive, preventing the manager from replacing the system in time for the second robbery. Porter believes an organized group was involved, noting they had done 'a bit of planning and homework.'
Store manager Werner Baumann, who has run the shop for 15 years, said he had never experienced such a robbery. The thieves stole 60 to 70 per cent of his Lego stock initially, then returned for almost all the rest. Baumann believes the theft is part of a wider pattern, with police investigating similar incidents from New South Wales to Melbourne.
Baumann noted that some stolen sets were one or two years old and cannot be reordered from Lego, making them sought after. Police believe the Lego is destined for resale and urge vigilance when dealing with second-hand sellers on sites like Gumtree and eBay. Anyone with information is asked to contact detectives.
