Two women will face fresh charges after being stopped going on a further shoplifting spree in Pukekohe.
A third woman is also being sought by Police over the offending this week.
Senior Sergeant Mary Jane Riddle, of Counties Manukau South Police, says the three women were in Pukekohe appearing in court on other shoplifting offences on Tuesday.
"After leaving the court, the trio are alleged to have stolen the numberplates off a vehicle that was parked directly outside.
"They then travelled to several shops in Pukekohe, where they are alleged to have stolen hundreds of dollars' worth of items."
Police units were actively searching for the alleged offenders and officers came across a vehicle carrying the stolen licence plates.
Senior Sergeant Riddle says Police located two women inside an automotive store and were quickly arrested without incident.
"The women had been prevented from stealing about $1,800 worth of items from this store.
"We'd like to thank those people at the affected stores in Pukekohe who reported the offending to Police so quickly, allowing us to make the arrests," she says.
"We were also able to locate and recover several stolen items inside their vehicle."
A 29-year-old woman will be back in the Pukekohe District Court facing two new shoplifting charges.
Meanwhile, an 18-year-old woman is set to appear in the same court on 4 December facing four new shoplifting charges.
"Offending like this is a blight in our community and we're very happy to have these two alleged offenders being held to account for their actions," Senior Sergeant Riddle says.
