OPOTIKI BURGLARY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 100, 28 February 1947, Page 5

OPOTIKI BURGLARY

GARAGE SAFE STOLEN FOUND AT WAIOTAHI An audacious burglary was committed at Opotiki last weekend, probably in the early hours ■of the morning. The premises of Service Motors were entered and the office safe removed from the building. An attempt had been made to enter the premises by boring a large hole under a lock. This method was abandoned and a jemmy used to force the door open. Books and papers were removed from the top of the safe and put aside and then the safe was -carried outside to a car or lorry by at least two men, as it weighed approximately 2cwt. The safe was found on Saturday by two Boy Scouts who were going to a meeting at Waiotahi. When the lads arrived at the Waiotahi Bluff one boy went on through the deep cutting where the road was deviated some years ago and the other boy went around by the old roadway and came across the missing safe. A heavy charge of gelignite had been used to blow the safe open as it was badly damaged. It is understood that residents in the vicinity heard a heavy explosion in the early hours of the morning. The office books in the safe were found to be intact but over £SO in coins and notes was missing. Other money in the safe was in the form of cheques to a total value of about £l6O. As soon as the loss of the safe was discovered on Saturday morning the police were informed and detectives from Gisborne conducted investigations during the weekend. Business Premises Entered The premises of Opotiki Builders’ Supplies, Elliott Street, were broken into last week, access being gained by a window. A small amount of cash in a til was left untouched and some carpenters’ tools were stolen. The safe was not interfered with.