Wellington:
New Zealand police said on Thursday they had launched a strong case against two Lego-loving shoplifters accused of stealing NZ$20,000 ($12,000) worth of the popular toy.
A batch of brightly colored interlocking plastic bricks has been stolen from stores in New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland, in recent months, police said.
The thieves used a bold approach to pinch the blocks.
“In each incident, the alleged burglars brazenly caused a disruption within the store by setting off the fire alarm,” Sheriff Karen Tabb said in a statement.
A 45-year-old woman and a 34-year-old man have been charged with 30 counts of shoplifting.
Police said the thieves also faced charges under the New Zealand Fire and Emergency Act for using a fire alarm to create a distraction.
Tubb added that a police team raided an address in South Auckland, arresting two people and recovering a number of stolen Lego sets.
The New Zealand Lego set, which retails for up to NZ$1,499, is a 7,451-piece model of the popular Star Wars spaceship Millennium Falcon.
Lego solidified its position as the world’s largest toymaker in 2023. The Danish toy giant reported results of $9.6 billion last month, a record figure for the family-owned company.
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