Australian Man Arrested For Theft Of $400,000 Worth Of "Bluey" Coins
A 47-year-old Australian man, Steven John Neilson, has been arrested for allegedly stealing over A$600,000 ($393,000) worth of commemorative coins linked to the popular children's TV show "Bluey." The coins were taken from a secure warehouse in Sydney's Wetherill Park in June, according to "Strike Force Bandit," a special police unit set up to investigate the theft.
Neilson is accused of stealing 64,000 unreleased, limited-edition A$1 coins. The coins were intended to be legal tender and feature the character "Bluey," a beloved anthropomorphic dog from the show.
Detective Superintendent Joseph Doueihi commented, "The theft of these coins have deprived a lot of young children and members of the community from having access to these coins, so we're doing our absolute best to try to recover these coins and put them back into circulation."
The theft occurred while the coins were in transit to Brisbane. Police allege Neilson and two male accomplices took the coins from the back of a truck, selling them online within hours. The coins, weighing around 500 kilograms (1102 lbs), were reported missing several days later. During a raid on a Sydney house in June, 189 coins were recovered, but most are believed to be in general circulation.
The limited-edition coins quickly became a hot commodity, selling online for ten times their face value. While the Royal Australian Mint has yet to comment on the theft, the coins were initially slated for release to the public. Similar special commemorative coins sell for A$20 each on the mint's website, with some eBay sellers charging nearly A$600 for a pack of three.
Neilson was arrested on Wednesday and charged with three counts of breaking and entering. He appeared in Parramatta Court and was denied bail. The investigation, named after "Bandit," Bluey's father in the show, continues as police search for Neilson's accomplices and more of the stolen coins.
"Bluey," produced by Brisbane-based Ludo with BBC Studios and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, has achieved international acclaim. The show has been streamed for over 20 billion minutes on Disney+ in the US and is broadcast in more than 60 countries, including the UK and China.
The theft has highlighted the show's immense popularity and the value of its merchandise. Detective Doueihi admitted he was unaware of Bluey's reach before the investigation.
“It’s amazing to see the impact this show has had globally and how much these coins mean to people,” he said.
Despite the setback, authorities urge anyone with information on large stashes of the stolen coins to come forward. Those who have received one of the coins do not need to surrender it to police, but the investigation aims to recover as many as possible to ensure they reach the intended audience of young fans and collectors.
