Thieves in Melbourne steal 45 new cars worth 1.2 million euros

(Patria) - A group of thieves last week stole new cars worth two million Australian dollars (about 1.2 million euros) from a warehouse at the port in Melbourne, reports Autoklub.hr.

The theft occurred on October 20 at 6:30 a.m. According to Victoria Police, two men and two women broke into the premises, disabled alarms and other security systems, and drove off a total of 45 unregistered vehicles.

They were not particularly picky about their loot, as the stolen cars include a range of different models.

Along with an impressive number of 20 Honda Civic Type Rs, the thieves also stole three Skoda Kamiqs, five Skoda Kodiaqs, a VW Golf R, three VW Tiguan, three Skoda Superbs, two Honda ZR-Vs, two GMW Tank 300s, a Honda Accord, two Honda CR-Vs, and two Mercedes-Benz Sprinters.

The thieves apparently had enough time to choose the cars they liked best.

Police managed to catch one participant in this theft. The 32-year-old woman faces charges of reckless driving, possession of fake license plates, driving without a license, and possession of illicit drugs.

She was arrested after being spotted driving one of the stolen vehicles on local streets.

It was reported that the thieves reached a locked and fenced parking lot, then used one of the Sprinters to remove concrete barricades from the path.

How they managed to start the cars remains a mystery, as it is unclear whether they somehow obtained the keys or used some high-tech trick.

In the meantime, police have found 21 of the 45 stolen vehicles, and are searching for the remaining thieves. Having one of the participants in custody will certainly make the police's job significantly easier.