Over the course of this year, some Wairarapa homeowners have been the target of a very peculiar type of crime – the theft of garden gnomes.
During a search warrant being carried out earlier this month, police found more than 200 stolen garden ornaments, including about 30 garden gnomes.
Recognise these guys? The curious case the gnome crime spree - Watch on TVNZ+
Wairarapa police are having trouble finding out where they live. (Source: 1News)
One woman has been arrested and charged in relation to the thefts and is set to appear in court next month.
Sergeant Nick Bunny said it was time for the items to be "gnome-ward bound", but finding out where they belonged had proven difficult.
“We’ve asked the gnomes where they reside, but so far, they’ve remained stone-faced,” Bunny said.
The haul also included bird baths, outdoor furniture, a gazebo, trollies, windmills, solar lights, children’s wheelbarrows, metal birds, pot plants, statues, sculptures, a concrete giraffe and even a few buddha.
“We’d really like people to check their gardens and outdoor areas and, if they are missing anything, they should pop into the station with their identification, and we’ll work with them to identify items,” Bunny said. “We’re hoping the public can help us get them gnome-sweet-gnome,” he said.
The public could also make a report online at 105.police.govt.nz, clicking update report, or by calling 105 and use the reference number 261014/0880.
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