Fake Banknotes and a Wave of Thefts Keep Katikati Police Busy

Retailers in the Western Bay of Plenty have been targeted by counterfeit currency, with fake $50 and $100 notes turning up at businesses in the area. Police say the forgeries can be identified by the absence of the silver strip and the missing hologram image on the clear window — telltale signs locals should watch for when accepting cash.

Burglaries and theft have also kept officers occupied across Katikati and Ōmokoroa during late July. A large race-car trailer was stolen from Marshall Place on 17 July, with a silver station wagon seen reversing through a wooden fence to access the yard before heading north on State Highway 2. Overnight on 21 July, keys and a bag were taken from a Matuku Place home while the owners slept, and on 25–26 July a motorcycle was stolen from a woodshed on a rural Canon Road property near Tahawai.

In Ōmokoroa, a Pioneer Crescent house was burglarised in broad daylight on 22 July, with phones, a soundbar, a smartwatch, and jewellery among the items taken. Batteries were also stolen from heavy vehicles at a worksite on Ōmokoroa Road on 18 July, and a man fled without paying after being handed an iPhone he had expressed interest in buying.

Among the arrests, a 33-year-old Katikati man was charged on 24 July with setting fire to a rubbish bin and assaulting a firefighter who attended the scene — though police noted the assault was minor and involved pushing. A 23-year-old Auckland man was charged with methamphetamine possession in Te Puna on 26 July, and several drivers were apprehended for excess breath alcohol or driving while disqualified across the district.

Originally published in Katikati News (Sun Media).