Australian cops recover 40,000 Bluey coins stolen in major robbery bust, getaway driver arrested

On By Karl

SYDNEY, Oct. 30 — Authorities have successfully recovered more than 40,000 limited edition Bluey coins stolen from a warehouse in Sydney earlier this year.

As reported by ABC NewsA third suspect was arrested and police allege Christina Vale, 27, of Western Sydney, acted as the getaway driver during the robbery.

He was detained at a property in Green Valley in the early hours of Tuesday morning and charged at Liverpool Police Station with aggravated breaking and entering and dealing in stolen goods.

Vale appeared before Liverpool Local Court yesterday but was refused bail and his next hearing is scheduled for 28 November.

Accordingly ABC NewsThe robbery took place on July 12, when NSW Police reported 63,000 Bluey-themed A$1 (RM2.88) coins missing from a warehouse in Wetherill Park.

Created by the Royal Australian Mint, these brilliant collectibles showcase characters from the hit ABC children’s cartoon and are scheduled to be released in September. Worth over A$600,000, this treasure was definitely for the fans!

State Crime Command’s Robbery and Serious Crime Squad launched an investigation under the entertaining title Strike Force Bandit, named after Bluey’s father in the show.

Two other suspects, 47-year-old Steven John Neilson, said to be a former employee of the warehouse, and 44-year-old Nassar Kanj, were arrested in August and are still awaiting trial.

During a previous search during Neilson’s arrest, police found 189 of the missing coins.

Detectives uncovered more than 40,000 coins at a self-storage facility in Wentworthville. — Image courtesy of the NSW Police Force

Detectives uncovered more than 40,000 coins at a self-storage facility in Wentworthville. — Image courtesy of the NSW Police Force

Fast forward to yesterday, detectives uncovered more than 40,000 coins at a self-storage facility in Wentworthville; these included bags containing a total of A$40,061 in Bluey coins stolen from the Royal Australian Mint.

Interestingly, some of these coins may have entered general circulation, with a few even falling into the hands of unsuspecting collectors in August.