Brazen moment a pot-bellied ‘porch pirate’ allegedly steals Christmas package from outside stranger’s home when he thinks no one is watching
- A pot-bellied fiend has been allegedly caught on camera stealing a package
- Country Road handbag inside package was destined to be a Christmas gift
- The alleged thief stole the package despite being aware he was being filmed
- Ponytailed creep knocked on person’s door before stealing the precious item
- Police have released CCTV footage of the man in hope someone recognises him
A porky, ponytailed bogan has been allegedly caught on camera making off with a package that was to go under someone’s Christmas tree.
The man struck on December 1 in the country Victorian town of Flora Hill – just south-east of Bendigo in Victoria’s north.
Dressed in a black t-shirt, wrap-around sunglasses and sporting a ponytail, the portly ‘porch pirate’ is seen knocking on his victim’s Osborne Street door before making off with the package when no-one answers.
Police have released images of a man they believe can help with their investigation into the stolen handbag
Police wish to speak with this ponytailed man, who was seen removing a package containing a handbag
Investigators have been told the package was left on the front porch of the property sometime that day, with CCTV cameras capturing the theft at about 4.50pm.
The package had contained a Country Road handbag, which was destined to be a Christmas gift.
The offender is perceived to be Caucasian, 175 centimetres tall with a solid build and distinctive haircut and beard.
Detectives shouldn’t have too much trouble locating the man, with people hitting social media to help out within minutes of the video being published.
‘Can you message me on here? I can give you his name and address,’ one woman told police.
The man was also seen wearing a distinctive bracelet
Doorstep parcel theft has plagued Australians during 2022.
More than 3.6 million parcels were lost or stolen in a 12-month period, with nearly a third of residents having a parcel stolen or lost.
This has cost Australian consumers a total of AU$224.3 million in missing goods.
The results are part of the world’s first global parcel theft survey which found that close to one in ten people had at least one parcel lost or stolen from May 2021 to April 2022.
This amounts to a staggering 1.009 billion packages globally, at a total cost of AU$57.04 billion.
Worldwide, there was an all-time high of stolen or lost parcels with an estimated rise of 155 million compared to the previous 12 months, despite initiatives to tackle the surge post-covid. This is more than a two percent increase.
Anyone with information on the theft is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report at www.crimestoppers.com.au
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