Melbourne, the most liveable city in the world, is in the midst of a Lego crime wave.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Police across town are investigating a series of thefts of the little toy bricks that cause so much pain underfoot.
Just last week, three toy shops in the eastern suburbs were hit.
Before that, in November, a man and woman used a van with stolen plates to ram-raid a shopfront in Coburg North and steal a one-metre high Lego ninja.
The Lego-loving thieves have Victoria Police working overtime. First it was the cops in Fawkner. Now, Crime Investigation Units in Casey, Knox and Glen Eira Bayside are involved.
A taskforce might be needed.
In the most recent burglaries, police believe the same offender targeted three shops in three days. The first break-in took place just after 6am on January 10 at a store in Cranbourne on the South Gippsland Highway.
A man used a dark-coloured Nissan ute to ram a rear door at the shop before trying to force open the locks on two shipping containers. He failed on both counts and left empty handed.
But the persistent thief was undeterred. The following day, police believe the same man burgled a toy shop inside a Burwood Highway shopping centre in Wantirna South at about 7.20am.
This time, according to investigators, he "managed to manipulate a lock" and made off in the ute with two trolley loads of Lego.
On day three, perhaps unable to sleep from the thrill of his previous haul, the offender was up early. Just before 5am he pulled up to a toy shop on Centre Road in Bentleigh East and used his trusty Nissan to reverse ram raid the front doors.
It didn't work, so he left. Then he came back, tired once more, failed a second time, and left again.
Investigators believe the same brick-obsessed burglar was involved in a theft from this store a few mornings earlier when a Lego toy set was stolen.
Police, desperate to catch the thief that has the force tripping over itself, have released images of a man and the ute they believe are central to the heists.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report to www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
