By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
POLICE are investigating a string of electrical store break-ins across Casey and Cardinia last week.
Detectives have released CCTV images of the men they believe were involved in breaking into three stores in Berwick, Cranbourne and Pakenham on the same night.
Six unknown offenders broke into the Berwick telecommunications store about 3am on 18 March but left empty-handed.
The same men allegedly then moved on to Cranbourne straight after, where they broke into another electrical store on the South Gippsland Highway about 3.20am and stole a number of computers and phones.
Then about half an hour later, at about 3.50am, the same men are believed to have broken into the Telstra store on Main Street.
Here they used an angle grinder to get inside and caused at least $5000 worth of property damage, but stole nothing.
The thieves used the grinder to cut the lock off the door and smash through the wall at the Pakenham shop, which had been burgled just a month earlier.
The intruders triggered the Telstra store’s alarm and were inside for less than five minutes.
After the previous burglary, all iPhones and Samsung phones had been put inside two large metal safes, which are bolted to the floor.
Senior Constable Jacky A’Herne commended the Pakenham staff for making security upgrades in the weeks since the first burglary.
A white Mitsubishi Outlander and a dark Toyota FJ Cruiser were spotted around the time of these break-ins.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or make a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
