23-year-old charged over alleged boat motor thefts at Mermaid Waters

A man has allegedly targeted several boats across a waterfront Gold Coast estate. Read what happened.

Gold Coast police bust alleged boat bandit. Picture: Archive

An alleged boat bandit has been busted by police following a brazen early morning theft from a Gold Coast home.

It’s alleged the masked man arrived in a tinny at a Mermaid Waters canal about 7am on Sunday where he began removing the outboard motor from a docked boat.

“(The alleged culprit) put it in his tinny and away he went,” Superintendent Peter Miles said.

“That information was put onto Facebook – with a response being, ‘this is where you’ll find your boat motor’.

“The owners have turned up and have called police.”

Officers from Gold Coast water police and Surfers Paradise station executed a search warrant on the property where they found the allegedly stolen motor alongside four others.

“Plus an inflatable rib and a life jacket,” Supt Miles said.

“Police have been able to reunite some of those items with their lawful owners.”

A 23-year-old man was arrested by police at the address and has been charged with six offences including three counts of stealing and one count each of receiving tainted property and unlawful use of motor vehicles.

Investigators are urging anyone in the Mermaid Waters area who may have recently had an outboard motor or boating equipment stolen to contact Police.

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