Daring thieves are breaking into storage sheds in the Latrobe Valley in what police have described as a brazen plan to steal power tools, car parts and home entertainment equipment.
Six sites have been burgled in the past month as police urge people leasing sheds to keep an eye out for suspected thieves.
More than a dozen sheds at Traralgon, Morwell, Moe and Churchill have been targets of the spate of break-ins which has resulted in dozens of items being stolen in the last four weeks.
Latrobe Crime Investigation Unit Detective Sergeant Simon Ross said in most cases trespassers had cut holes in cyclone fencing to access the sites.
“It appears as though offenders have targeted various items including power tools to car parts and home entertainment and audio equipment,” Detective Sergeant Ross told The Express.
“Each burglary appears to have been committed overnight [and] offenders have obtained access to the compounds in each instance by cutting holes in the cyclone fencing and then forcing entry into multiple storage units at each location.”
The first incident took place at a facility in Dodd Court in Traralgon between June 16 and 17, less than two weeks before a second facility was broken into on Liddiard Road, Traralgon.
Days later a facility was ransacked on Minchington Road in Morwell before facilities on Waterloo Road, Moe and Princes Drive, Morwell were targeted on July 1 and July 1 and 2, respectively.
The most recent incident was at Churchill on McCormick Street between July 4 and 5.
Police are currently reviewing CCTV footage from the sites.
Detective Sergeant Ross said one of the difficulties in determining what had been stolen was that many tenants were unaware of what items they had stored in their sheds.
He said tenants should consider detailing shed contents in an inventory.
“Any person renting units at these locations should attend and check their belongings and report any thefts to police,” Detective Sergeant Ross said.
“Investigations are continuing to determine if some or all of the burglaries are linked.”
Anyone with information is asked to phone Latrobe Crime Investigation Unit on 5131 5000 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
