Police in New Zealand reported on Thursday that they had assembled a solid case against two shoplifters who are reported to have taken NZ$20,000 (roughly US$12,000) worth of the well-known toy.
The haul of vividly colored interlocking plastic bricks was taken in recent months, according to police, from multiple establishments located throughout Auckland, the biggest city in New Zealand.
The bandits devised a daring method of pinching building block sets. Sergeant Karen Tabb stated in a statement that “the accused thieves boldly created a diversion in the store by setting off the fire alarm in each instance.”
A 45-year-old woman and a 34-year-old man have been charged with 30 counts of shoplifting.
The thieves also face charges under the Fire and Emergency New Zealand Act, police said, for using fire alarms as a distraction.
A police team raided an address in South Auckland, where the pair were arrested and some of the stolen Lego was recovered, Tabb added.
Lego kits in New Zealand retail up to NZ$1,499 — for a model of the popular Star Wars spaceship, the Millennium Falcon, which is made of 7,451 pieces.
Lego cemented its position as the world’s biggest toymaker in 2023. The Danish toy giant posted results last month of US$9.6 billion, a record sum for the family company.
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