Two men and five youths have been arrested over 10 car thefts across Greater Darwin.
The group allegedly stole multiple cars from businesses in Yarrawonga and Coconut Grove between last Sunday and Tuesday and later returned to one business to steal more.
Strike Force Trident was soon on the case with abandoned vehicles turning up around Darwin.
CCTV led Detectives and the Dog Squad to a Darwin City home where four boys aged 16, 17 and 18 were arrested, allegedly in possession of multiple sets of stolen car keys.
Soon after officers intercepted a stolen car near Daly River and took two 14-year-old boys into custody.
Four of them were charged with multiple offences including trespassing, property damage and aggravated burglary while the remaining three will be dealt with under the Youth Justice Act.
Eight of the ten stolen cars have been recovered around the CDB and Winnellie with efforts underway to find the other two.
Second string of car thefts
In a separate incident, a group allegedly broke-into a Winnellie business and stole two cars on Wednesday morning.
Police say the vehicles were being driven dangerously throughout Katherine, with a large contingent of officers deployed to intercept a car on the way to Darwin.
Tyre spikes successfully stopped a Toyota Corolla near the intersection of the Cox Peninsular and Stuart Highways with the occupants fleeing into bushland.
Two 12 year-old boys, a 16-year-old boy and two girls aged 15 and 17 were eventually arrested with the help of Patrol Dog Drax.
The group have since been charged with a string of offences including breaching a suspended sentence but one 12-year-old will also be dealt with under Youth Justice provisions.
Detective Senior Sergeant Dale Motter-Barnard has commended the efforts of police.
“These arrests were the result of a massive coordinated effort from multiple units and investigations remain ongoing as we work to locate the remaining stolen vehicles,” Detective Motter-Barnard says.
Anyone who saw suspicious behaviour in relation to the incidents is urged to contact police on 131 444.
