Holiday-makers furious after cars stolen from airport parking firm
Travellers have hit out at a car park owner based near Melbourne Airport after returning from holidays to learn their vehicles had been stolen. Find out where the company parked the cars.
VIC News
Don't miss out on the headlines from VIC News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Holiday-makers have been left reeling after their vehicles were stolen from a carparking business close to Melbourne Airport.
Police are investigating the theft of a number of cars from First Choice Airport Parking between September 28 and October 7.
Eight people returned from holiday to be told by the Tullamarine Park Rd company that their cars had been stolen.
Owners of the stolen vehicles have hit out at the car park owners after it emerged some of the cars were moved offsite and parked in local shopping centre car parks.
Police confirmed to the Herald Sun they are probing the thefts of the cars, most high-end models.
“Brimbank Crime Investigation Unit detectives are investigating the theft of a number of cars from a parking business in Tullamarine,” a Victoria Police spokeswoman said. “One of the stolen vehicles was located in the carpark of a shopping centre on Westfield Drive at Airport West on November 28.”
Katie Ryan arrived back from overseas in October to find her Mercedes A45 had been stolen.
She said First Choice staff initially suggested she had not parked her car at the site before disclosing that it — and others — had been stolen.
Pauline, who asked for her surname not to be published, said the carpark owners failed to properly help after her Volvo XC70 went missing while she was overseas.
Her car was the only one to have been retrieved.
“We all paid money to park our cars in a secure location with 24/7 security,” she said.
“When we booked it, the company were advertising 24/7 CCTV, security guards and security gates.”
The Herald Sun is not suggesting the allegations against First Choice are true, only that they have been made.
MORE NEWS:
MAN ACCUSED OF VIRAL RACIST RANT SACKED
MORE THAN 100 FLIGHTS CANCELLED IN JETSTAR STRIKE
SCHOOLS BAN CANDY CANES CHRISTMAS CARDS
Tony Kluytmans has lodged a claim through the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal for out-of-pocket expenses incurred by himself and others whose cars were stolen.
He said his two stepsons, aged eight and 10, fear whoever stole the family’s Subaru Outback will come to the home and harm them.
“The next day we paid for the garage frequencies to be changed because the garage remote was inside the car,” he said. “The kids are scared they could come and rob us.”
Several other Mercedes cars were among those stolen.
Any witnesses or anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.