Scale of damage to precious Queensland cemeteries still unknown: Police
The police have nabbed two men for allegedly damaging cemeteries, stealing brass plaques and selling them on the black market.
Investigators are calling on the public to help them identify how many burial grounds may have been defaced after arresting two men for allegedly stealing precious brass plaques from two Queensland cemeteries.
The police arrested two Caboolture men, a 38-year-old man and a 45-year-old man, for allegedly nicking 16 brass plaques from cemeteries in Beerwah and Peachester in early November.
Sunshine Coast Criminal Investigative Branch detectives searched an address at Peachester on November 10, allegedly locating and seizing three grinders.
Police allege the men used grinders to remove the names of families’ loved ones and then sold the brass on to second-hand metals dealers.
Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Mansfield said the dealers alerted police to the alleged crimes.
“They (the dealers) didn’t actually immediately know what those items were until they worked it out themselves, because they had been de-identified,” he said on Wednesday.
Senior Sergeant Mansfield said there was “quite a large market” for second hand metals and brass could be valuable.
“It is worth a bit of money. The plaques themselves are quite costly. People spend upwards of $1000 for their loved ones,” he said.
The men have been charged with possessing tainted property, entering premises and committing an indictable offence, dishonestly obtaining property and fraud.
“Police have recovered 25 plaques and are appealing for public assistance to help identify the names and other cemeteries that may have been affected,” the QPS said on Wednesday.
“The community is advised to report outstanding plaques or similar incidents to police or be in contact with the local cemetery.”
The men are on remand and will appear at Maroochydore Magistrates Court on December 14.
“Those plaques have been defaced,” Senior Sergeant Craig Mansfield said.
“They have removed the names of the people…which is distressing for family members of course, we are acutely aware of that.”
He said the police did not have any indication there were more people involved in the alleged theft.
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