Bicycle Theft Ring in Cooks Hill BUSTED: Community Relief as Suspects Arrested

UPDATE 18/08/2024 – The man who was involved in the theft of hundreds of bikes around Newcastle and is an active member of Newcastle’s inner-city illicit drug community is now in hiding after he was brutally beaten at a Cooks Hill residence recently. Unable to walk, he was placed in an ambulance and taken away. It is believed he was staying at a woman’s home who is in her late 20s where he was conducting a bycycle theft operation from the garage and unit… unwanted bikes or an excess of stock were dumped in a common area near the the garage entry point and it is alleged that parts were taken off the bikes and sold.

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NEWY 87.8 EXCLUSIVE – Residents of Newcastle can breathe a sigh of relief as two suspects have been apprehended in connection with a series of alleged bicycle thefts across Newcastle. Local neighbours had long alleged the individuals of stealing bikes, ebikes, and motorcycles, dismantling them, and selling the parts. There were also allegations of drug dealing for years, adding to the community’s concerns.

The police investigation, which began in July 2024, culminated in a raid on a Brooks Street residence in Cooks Hill. Officers from the Newcastle Police District executed a search warrant, discovering clothing, mountain bikes, prohibited drugs, and mobile phones. These items are currently undergoing forensic examination.

During the operation, a 31-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy were arrested. The man faces charges of alleged larceny, with stolen goods valued between $2,000 and $5,000. He has been granted conditional bail and is set to appear before the Newcastle Local Court on Thursday, 22 August 2024. The boy, charged with a similar offence, will appear in a children’s court today.

We witnessed Cooks Hill residents expressing a sense of victory in the streets following the arrests, particularly those who had lost their bikes to the alleged thieves. The swift police action, which included smashing down the door and loading recovered bikes into a paddy wagon, was welcomed by onlookers, many of whom gathered at the scene as the events unfolded. The atmosphere was one of satisfaction and hope that these arrests would deter further criminal activity.

A video documenting the incident and the community’s reaction is included in our report. The police have urged anyone with additional information to phone crimestoppers, as they continue to gather evidence and piece together the full extent of the suspects’ activities.