Police believe this man and woman can help them with their inquiries into the theft of $130,000 of designer watches from a Springvale dutyfree store.By Shaun Inguanzo
A SPRINGVALE shopkeeper has declared he would “kick the arses” – if given the chance of thieves who stole $130,000 of designer Swissmade watches.
Distraught owner of Springvale’s CPK Duty Free and Retail, Ngoun Lim, and Springvale Police detectives have this week publicly appealed for the community’s help in finding two people believed to have stolen a swag of expensive watches from the store on 18 December last year.
The seven Cartierbrand watches were made from diamond and gold, and totalled $130,000 of retail value.
This week, detectives released images of a man and woman they would like to speak with regarding the incident.
Detectives believe a man and woman entered the store midafternoon and approached a locked glass cabinet.
Mr Lim this week said he believed the pair swiped the watches from a display cabinet behind the shop’s front counter shortly after entering the store.
He said security footage showed a man taking the watches from the cabinet, but while surrounding customers were not looking, and handed them to a female counterpart.
“I see him put his hand in (the cabinet),” Mr Lim said, “the customers all turned around, I just could not believe it.”
Mr Lim said the thieves took advantage of the shop’s busy preChristmas period, with the counter unattended, and carried out the crime in just three minutes.
Meanwhile, the crime has left the shop with a large financial burden.
Mr Lim said the expensive watches were not covered by the shop’s insurance premium because despite the theft, the goods could still be recovered and returned in mint condition.
Only if the goods are recovered damaged or broken will his insurance agent process the expensive claim, Mr Lim said.
Angered by the loss, Mr Lim said if confronted again by the male thief who took the watches, he would “kick his arse”.
“If I catch (the male) on the spot, he is going to have trouble.”
Mr Lim and his wife have owned the Springvalebased dutyfree store for 12 years, and he said similar incidents had happened, but almost 10 years ago and involving less expensive watches.
Police have described the man as Caucasian appearance, approximately 25 to 30 years old, thin build, and sporting a crew cut hairstyle with receding hairline.
The woman is described as Caucasian, approximately 30 years old, medium build, and shoulderlength blonde hair.
Anyone who has seen or knows of the whereabouts of the man and woman pictured, or has any information about the theft, should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
