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Chinese tourists targeted by thieves stealing from vehicles at Perth landmarks

Jon BassettEastern Reporter

A GROUP of 12 Chinese tourists are among victims of the latest spate of thefts from visitors’ vehicles at some of Perth’s prime attractions, including King’s Park and the blue boatshed in Crawley.

“We are getting at least five or six break-ins into tourists’ cars each day in the area,” Sergeant Matthew Griffin told the Guardian Express today.

The incidence of the thefts, particularly from cars hired by Asian tourists who consider the Mounts Bay Road boatshed an icon of Perth, has become so bad that it is now subject to a police operation lasting several months.

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“You get a lot of tourists who are leaving their laptops, cash and passports in cars, and not at their hotel rooms,” Sgt Griffin said.

Last year, another spate in Kings Park, near the boatshed and the adjacent Nedlands foreshore, targeted tourists’ and residents’ cars and resulted in arrests.

Those crimes also caused in police to produce leaflets for hire car companies that warned tourists about thefts.

“Having picked up several people in the past who break into cars, we can tell you that their story is ‘if you leave it in your car, we’re going to steal it,’” Senior Sergeant Craig Davis said.

Thieves took laptops, at least $5000 in foreign and domestic cash and passports when they hit the Chinese visitors’ bus near Fraser’s Restaurant after noon last Thursday.

A suspicious silver Holden Commodore has been seen in the park and nearby West Perth.

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