A Northland man has been charged in connection with more than $250,000 worth of damage to aircraft, following a burglary at the Kaikohe Gliding Club.
On 27 March, Police received a report of significant damage and theft at the Kaikohe Aerodrome.
Mid Far North Area Prevention Manager, Senior Sergeant Clem Armstrong, says the club’s gliders were damaged in the targeted burglary, with costs totalling $60,000 per glider.
“Two vehicles were also taken and an $80,000 tractor mower. This equipment is essential to keeping the gliding club operational.
“Adding further insult, approximately 100 litres of diesel and petrol were stolen, along with batteries from the club’s solar power system,” he says.
The Kaikohe Aerodrome, built in 1942 as a United States Marine Corps bomber base, has the largest grass airstrip in the Southern Hemisphere, with the gliding club responsible for mowing and maintaining it.
“This is a volunteer group who rely entirely on goodwill,
“This has been a massive blow and has really hurt them,” says Senior Sergeant Armstrong.
Following an investigation, a 28-year-old man has been charged in connection to the burglary and is due to appear in the Kaikohe District Court on 21 April.
The local man faces 21 charges relating to a series of rural thefts in the Mangakahia and Awarua areas. These include twelve charges of burglary, two of theft of a motor vehicle, intentional damage, unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, receiving, and theft.
“The club was over the moon to hear we had arrested someone,” Senior Sergeant Armstrong says.
During the investigation, Police also located stolen industrial drill parts valued at $40,000. The equipment, which had been imported from the United States by a local earth mining company, was returned last week.
“It’s great to be able to recover these expensive and crucial pieces of equipment and return them to their rightful owners.
“Our investigation remains ongoing. We are still looking at who else may be involved,” he says.
Senior Sergeant Armstrong urges people to report thefts in rural areas, no matter how minor they might seem.
“Reporting incidents helps us build a picture of what’s happening in an area. Please report suspicious behaviour and any vehicles of concern, including number plates,” he says.
