“Malicious” thieves have stolen more than $50,000 worth of quality timber from Gubbins Home Hardware in Moss Vale.
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General manager David Wansey described the act as “brazen, systematic and malicious.”
Thieves broke into the yard just before midnight on Friday, March 9, climbed onto the rooves and spray-painted security cameras before returning a few hours later around 2.20am on Saturday, March 10 to execute the robbery.
“They came back with a crane truck and a Toyota Landcruiser and stole $50,000 to $55,000 worth of expensive timber,” Mr Wansey said.
“The crime was very systematic and brazen.”
After loading the vehicles with the timber, the thieves damaged fences and ruined thousands of dollars of timber on their way out.
Mr Wansey said the store had never been targeted at this scale before.
“Past robberies have been crimes of opportunity, where people have stolen loose items,” he said.
“But we have never been targeted in such a systematic and malicious way.”
Gubbins management have obtained CCTV footage of the vehicles driving down Berrima Road, Moss Vale before and after the robbery.
Mr Wansey said he hoped the images could jog the memory of any witnesses.
“It’s very unusual to see a ute and a truck full of timber driving down Berrima Road in a sort of convoy at that hour of the morning,” he said.
“This has caused us a lot of grief and we hope people report any information [to police.]”
One of the vehicles involved is described as a white Toyota Landcruiser GLX dual cab ute, with two aluminium tool boxes, pulling a large car trailer. The other vehicle is described as crane truck.
Gubbins management have offered a $3000 reward for information that leads to prosecution of the perpetrators.
“We hope the community can help us with this,” Mr Wansey said.
If you have any information about the robbery, contact Bowral Police Station on 4862 9299.