Posted on March 23, 2009 by by valerirojas

It seems Canberra burglaries are getting worse by the day.

A burglary took place at the Mitchell Transfer Station on Flemington Road,  a 20-tonne excavator was used to tear down the wall of an Atco weighbridge building and steal a safe.

Offenders gained entry to the premises, the property of the ACT Government, sometime between 11pm

Photo from CrimeStoppers

Sunday evening (March 22) and 12.30am today (Monday, March 23) by cutting a hole in the perimeter fence. The offenders then broke into and started up a 20-tonne excavator which was parked on site.

The excavator was driven to the weighbridge building where the machine’s claw was used to rip open the side of the building and extricate a safe, which was then loaded onto a truck. The safe contained a significant sum of cash.

The safe is branded as an API Series II. It is described as dark green in colour, about one metre in height, with two keyholes and a tumbler on the door. It has a registration number of BO492.

Police believe that the Mitchell burglary may be connected to one overnight at a construction site in the new Gungahlin suburb of Harrison, where a chained gate was cut open and three-tonne tipper truck was stolen. The stolen truck was found burnt out today in Hall.

The Officer in Charge (OIC) of Gungahlin Police Station, Sergeant Chris Meagher, said that suspicious noise or activity during the night at the Transfer Station may have been detected by passers-by, and has urged anyone who may any information which would assist the investigation to contact Crime Stoppers.

“We believe that the offenders may have been on the site for more than one hour,” Sgt Meagher said. “We would very much like to hear from anyone who saw or heard anything suspicious last night (Sunday) or in the early hours of this morning to contact us.”

Do you have any information regarding this burglary? then contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or Report Crime Online.

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