Fish smuggler, pizza robber, bad drivers: Stupid criminals of 2019

They’re the criminals that make you sigh and shake your head — and we’ve compiled all the dumb crime stories from Adelaide in 2019. And they’re hilariously bad.

Adelaide has had its fair share of dumb criminals.

Most think they could outsmart authorities and some maybe just don’t think at all.

While some of these crimes have very real victims, the antics displayed here brought a chuckle across Adelaide this year.

The Advertiser has compiled a list of some of the stupidest offenders this year.

■ One of the worst getaways this year goes to this alleged thief who was caught waiting for a bus after breaking into an Underdale home.

The Henley Beach South man, 36, allegedly dropped the stolen electric guitars and laptops and fled when police arrived at the house, which was 2m away from the bus stop.

A man has fled after a bungled car theft that left a sedan tipped onto its side at Hillbank. Picture: SA Police

■ The first criteria of being a car thief was probably knowing how to drive, right? This offender tipped the victim’s car over the boundary retaining wall while reversing out of the driveway at Hillbank.

■ A 32-year-old man allegedly robbed a pizza delivery guy of his pizzas as he came to the door. No prizes for guessing where he lived.

A man was arrested at Adelaide Airport for allegedly trying to smuggle an endangered fish around his neck. Picture: Australian Border Force

■ A Vietnamese national was found with a $1000 endangered fish – alive – around his neck as he stepped off the plane at Adelaide Airport. Sadly the fully red Asian arowana had to be euthanised because it pose a significant biosecurity risk to Australia.

Youtubers RackaRacka head through the drive through at the Lonsdale Hotel in a car full to the brim with water. Source: Youtube

■ Four teenagers were nabbed for allegedly robbing two service stations in Adelaide’s affluent suburbs of Unley and Glenside. Police followed the trail of lolly wrappers Hansel-and-Gretel style to the young offenders’ home.

Police have followed a trail of lollies and chocolate bars to arrest four teenage boys who allegedly robbed two service stations in August. Pic: AAP/Brenton Edwards

■ Two men allegedly impersonated SA Police officers and stopped motorists in Adelaide southern and western suburbs. One victim was issued a “fine” and was driven to a nearby ATM to withdraw money. The fake officers have been charged.

Aside to that, two men pretended to be federal officers, wearing fake jackets emblazoned with “Federal Police” turned up at a victim’s Salisbury Downs home 30 minutes after a scam call.

Police spoke to this driver after he was involved in a multi car crash on the Port River Expressway before crashing in the wetlands. Picture SA Police

■ This driver landed himself in hot water, or in this case the Dry Creek wetlands, after ramming several cars on the Salisbury Hwy. The Christie Downs man, 30, climbed on top of his partially submerged car while waiting for police to arrive.

■ A driver decided to throw a large burnout in front of a group of people in Port Adelaide but among the crowd were the police.

Police dismantling a suspected drug lab that was set up in an Airbnb at Henley Beach. Picture: Matt Turner

■ This ingenious pair rented a $1.4 million beachfront property off Airbnb to allegedly make illicit drugs – that is until the suspected drug lab exploded and one of the men got caught with his pants down, literally, while running away police.

We’ve missed something? Tell us in the comments.