A man and a woman have been charged with allegedly taking items from a fire-damaged electrical retailer during the South Coast bushfire crisis.
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Police allege the pair entered the Batemans Bay business twice and took items on Wednesday, January 8.
A 38-year-old man was arrested at a home in Tilba Tilba about 5.45pm on Friday, January 10.
Police said a crime scene warrant was executed and during a search of the property, they located and seized several electronic goods believed to have been stolen.
Shortly after, a 31-year-old woman was arrested in Narooma and both were taken to Batemans Bay Police Station.
The man has been charged with two counts of entering a building with intent to commit an indictable offence, two counts of larceny, disposing of property - theft (serious indictable offence), and possessing a prohibited drug.
The woman has been charged with two counts of entering a building with intent to commit an indictable offence, two counts of larceny, and two counts of disposing of property - theft (serious indictable offence).
Both were refused bail to appear at Batemans Bay Local Court on Saturday, January 11.
Investigations are continuing.
Police will allege in court that the pair broke into the fire-damaged business twice on Wednesday, January 8, 2020 and stole electronic items.
About 3pm on Friday, January 10, officers from South Coast Police District and the Southern Region Enforcement Squad (RES) executed a search warrant at a home in Narooma, following reports of looting in the region.
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During the search, police located a number of electrical items, which are alleged to have been stolen during recent bushfires. These items were seized to undergo forensic examination.
The NSW Police Force said it was "providing a high-visibility presence to deter criminal activity throughout the current bushfire emergency and assist other emergency services to ensure bushfire-affected areas are safe for the community to return as quickly as possible".
"Local police numbers have been bolstered by officers from specialist commands to conduct regular patrols throughout bushfire-affected areas," a spokesperson said.
Anyone with information about unsafe or unlawful behaviour in the bushfire affected region is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au.
In the event of an emergency, contact Triple Zero (000).
Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report crime via NSW Police social media pages.
