Man charged after police discover 'underground Legoland' in Auckland after thefts

1:24 pm on 5 July 2023
Some of the stolen Lego that was recovered in Browns Bay, Auckland.

Some of the stolen Lego that was recovered in Browns Bay, Auckland. Photo: NZ Police

Police have uncovered an 'underground Legoland' in the Auckland suburb of Browns Bay after linking a number of thefts spanning three months.

Police said they had been building their case against a 39-year-old man since the thefts began in April and recovered numerous stolen Lego sets after executing a search warrant at a property in East Coast Road last week.

In a statement, Waitematā East Area Commander, Inspector Stefan Sagar said the man was alleged to have stolen a large number of Lego sets from a large retailer in Albany between 27 April and 1 June.

"Police want to reassure our local retailers that we are working hard to hold these offenders to account, and this is another example of our staff responding and apprehending those who are committing offending against businesses in our communities," Sagar said.

The man is facing a charge in relation to 26 incidents of theft and will appear in North Shore District Court at a later date.