In a major breakthrough, detectives from Strike Force Sweetenham apprehended two teenagers for their involvement in a series of vehicle thefts spanning Sydney and Newcastle throughout 2023.
Yesterday at 8 am (Friday, 17 November 2023), specialized officers executed a search warrant at a residence in Toongabbie, unearthing a trove of items believed to be connected to aggravated break-ins leading to vehicle thefts across Sydney.
A 15-year-old boy was arrested at the Toongabbie residence and charged with seven counts of aggravated break and enter and steal, aggravated robbery with actual bodily harm, five counts of being carried in a conveyance without the owner’s consent, three counts of stealing a motor vehicle, participating in a criminal group, and disguising with the intent to commit an indictable offense. He was held in custody and appeared before the children’s court on Saturday, 18 November 2023.
Following further investigations, an 18-year-old man was arrested in Toongabbie on the same day. He faces charges including three counts of aggravated break and enter and steal, trespassing on enclosed land without lawful excuse, obtaining property by deception, being carried in a conveyance without the owner’s consent, face blackened, disguising with the intention to commit an indictable offense, and participating in a criminal group contributing to criminal activity. The 18-year-old was granted bail and is scheduled to appear before Blacktown Local Court on Friday, 15 December 2023.
Police allege that the duo was involved in a string of car thefts in various locations, including Kings Langley, Merewether, Gladesville, Abbotsford, Lambton, Hamilton, and Westmead, between July 2023 and November 2023. The arrests mark a significant milestone in curbing the rising incidents of vehicle thefts in the region.