GPS Tracker catches plumber stealing from building site

A licenced Plumber from Mullaloo has been charged with stealing after building site investigators tracked a stolen hot water unit to his home address.

PACT Site Security investigators, who have been working closely with the Joondalup Detectives office, installed a number of GPS tracking devices in assets on building site throughout the northern suburbs.   

At 5.55am on 17th May PACT Site Security investigators were alerted to the theft of a hot water unit that had a GPS tracking device installed.

Installed on a Perception Display Home in Burleigh Drive, Burns Beach it was taken from the site and tracked to a services station in Ocean Reef before travelling to a residential address in Mullaloo Drive, Mullaloo.

Prior to Police arrival at the address a male person departed with the hot water unit in the rear of a plumber’s van. The vehicle was eventually tracked to a Bunnings store in Edgewater, Joondalup where detectives attended and located the stolen hot water unit in the rear of the male’s vehicle. He was arrested and conveyed him to Joondalup Police station where he later admitted stealing the item from the Perception Homes building site. He is due to appear in Joondalup Magistrates court as a result of the charge. 

 Craig Pages-Oliver from PACT Site Security said ‘As we know, there are a number of offenders carrying out these crimes who are working within the construction industry. This person is a licenced plumber and carrying on a registered plumbing business installing hot water systems to the general public, I wonder how many unsuspecting people have had stolen Hot Water Units installed at their homes?

 BGC Residential and JCorp Group Executive General Manager, Michael Bartier said ‘We continue to see the installation of GPS trackers as the most effective weapon to combat site theft across the housing industry”

“BGC Residential is proud to support the PACT program which has been broadly successful since its inception. Assisting to reduce site theft and vandalism across all building sites not just those of BGC Residential.”

Craig Pages-Oliver added ‘In these cased Police need to ensure previous business activities are fully scrutinised to ascertain if these individuals are involved in ongoing theft within the industry and we will be seeking cancellation of the offenders Plumbing Licence through the licencing board once the conviction has been finalised’ .