Ten people have been charged over the theft of $400,000 worth of hot water systems across the Illawarra and south-west Sydney, as part of an alleged ring of stealing and re-selling.
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Lake Illawarra police have been tracking the repeated thefts of hot water systems for months, forming Strike Force Dirrus in July.
About 200 gas hot water systems have been stolen from newly built homes in the Illawarra and south-west Sydney region.
Police allege one group of thieves have been stealing the systems, before tradespeople knowingly bought the stolen goods and then on-sold them to new home owners.
Between December 16 and 18, nine men and a woman were arrested in Sydney.
Two men, aged 32 and 33, are alleged to have stolen the hot water systems. They have been charged with 69 offences including steal property in a dwelling house, aggravated break and enter with intent, dispose of property, goods in custody, deal with proceeds of crime and resist arrest.
Both men were refused bail and will appear in Central Local Court and Sutherland Local Court in February.
A 30-year-old woman was charged with aggravated break and enter, steal property, and six counts of concealing a serious indictable offence. She was granted conditional bail to appear in Port Kembla Local Court on February 4.
A 20-year-old man and a 26-year-old man were both charged with stealing; two men, aged 28 and 61, were charged with receiving property; and three men aged 29, 45 and 56 will be issued court attendance notices for the offences of receive property and recklessly deal with proceeds of crime.
Lake Illawarra police say investigations by Strike Force Dirrus are continuing, and further arrests and charges are expected.
