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Major police breakthrough in spate of e-scooter thefts

A Tasmanian man has been arrested over a spate of thefts, including a raft of stolen electric scooters, which police have estimated to be worth about $60,000.

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A Hobart man has been arrested over his alleged involvement in a spate of thefts, during which $60,000 worth of goods were stolen, including a raft of electric scooters.

Officers on Saturday arrested the 31-year-old man after he came into the crosshairs of a Tasmania Police taskforce.

The man has been charged over his alleged involvement in 19 thefts over a three-month period across Tasmania.

The man has also been charged with multiple alleged breaches of bail and for failing to appear in court.

He was arrested as a result of a targeted police operation over several weeks.

The thefts consisted primarily of e-scooters and bicycles. Picture: Wolfram Steinberg / Getty Images.
The thefts consisted primarily of e-scooters and bicycles. Picture: Wolfram Steinberg / Getty Images.

Police said the thefts consisted primarily of electric scooters and bicycles.

It was estimated the total value of the stolen property was just under $60,000.

“Taskforce Saturate has located a quantity of stolen property as a result of the investigation and resultant search yesterday and will be conducting further enquiries regarding ownership,” Tasmanian Police said in a statement.

The man was due to appear in Hobart Magistrates Court on Sunday.

Steve Zemek
Steve ZemekCourt reporter

Steve Zemek began his career in his native Queensland before moving to Sydney with Australian Associated Press in 2014. He worked as an NRL journalist for five seasons, covering the game all over Australia and in New Zealand before making a career pivot towards court reporting in 2019. He joined NCA NewsWire in mid 2020 as a Sydney-based court reporter where he has covered some of the state's biggest cases.

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/breaking-news/major-police-breakthrough-in-spate-of-escooter-thefts/news-story/dae3954a84ae14d4f04179d5a64a0475