A 37-year-old man was apprehended after attempting to steal 241 Whittaker’s chocolate bars worth NZ$1,349.60 (S$1,116.38) from a supermarket in New Zealand.
The suspect filled his shopping trolley with the chocolate bars and tried to leave without paying. However, security officers stopped him by locking the trolley. When the suspect attempted to drag it away, the trolley tipped over, allowing the supermarket staff to recover all the chocolate bars.
Counties Manukau South Senior Sergeant MJ Riddle shared details of the incident in a Facebook post on July 4, describing the man as a “prolific shoplifter.” The suspect was arrested earlier in the week at a property on Duke Street and was already a person of interest to the police due to a series of shoplifting offences in South Auckland over the past few weeks, primarily targeting supermarkets.
Sgt Riddle praised the arrest as an “excellent outcome” and affirmed that the police will continue to target “prolific offending against retail businesses in our communities.” The suspect is scheduled to be charged with multiple counts of burglary and shoplifting on July 8 at the Papakura District Court in Auckland.