Invercargill teen charged after hundreds of litres of fuel stolen

A teenager has been arrested after hundreds of litres of fuel and multiple vehicles were stolen in a spate of burglaries in rural Southland.

Acting Inspector Mel Robertson, Invercargill’s area prevention manager, said the thefts occurred overnight on Tuesday.

Significant quantities of fuel and multiple vehicles were among the items taken, Robertson said.

“Six vehicles were stolen, along with hundreds of litres [of] diesel and petrol,” Robertson said.

Police have recovered five of the six vehicles using GPS tracking.

A 17-year-old was arrested after a search warrant was executed at an Invercargill property, and nine 20-litre cans containing different fuels were recovered.

He has been charged with burglary in relation to the theft of fuel from a tractor and is due to appear in the Invercargill Youth Court later this month, with further charges under consideration.

An 18-year-old at the property was also arrested and charged with receiving stolen goods. He is due to appear in the Invercargill District Court on April 14.

Robertson said this sort of offending would not be tolerated.

“It’s senseless stuff and causes significant distress and upheaval to the lives of hard-working people,” she said.

“Anyone who is thinking of stealing fuel or vehicles should take this as a warning – we will act immediately and use our resources to find and prosecute anyone involved.

“Unfortunately, this is a timely reminder for everyone, especially those in rural communities, to look at their security, especially around fuel.”

Robertson said inquiries were ongoing, and police could not rule out further arrests.

She acknowledged the swift response from frontline staff and detectives that led to yesterday’s arrest.