A Sydney man has been accused of stealing $600,000 worth of limited edition Bluey coins before they were officially released.
Police believe the 47-year-old man worked in the Wetherill Park warehouse where the $1 coins were stored.
The man is said to have found and stolen the packages from the back of a truck on June 23, 2024.
According to police, the man took 63,000 Bluey coins, which he then sold online for 10 times the face value.
Detectives from the State Crime Command’s Robbery and Serious Crime Squad, led by Strike Force Bandit, executed a search warrant in Sefton, Western Sydney.
Officers found and seized 189 unreleased Bluey coins and several electronic devices.
The 47-year-old was arrested at a house in Westmead on Wednesday morning and taken to Granville police station.
He was charged with three counts of burglary.
Police allege the man (pictured right) took the 63,000 limited-edition Bluey coins worth $600,000 before the items were officially released
Officers found and seized 189 undeclared Bluey coins (pictured) after executing a search warrant at a property in Sydney’s west
The man allegedly sold the coins (pictured) online for 10 times their face value
He was refused bail and will appear in Parramatta District Court on Wednesday.
The Strike Force Bandit investigation continues.
In June of this year, the Royal Australian Mint released three uncirculated Bluey coins featuring the characters Bluey, The Heelers and The Grannies.
The Dollarbucks coins pay tribute to the iconic children’s program created by Australian animator Joe Brumm, which quickly became an international success after its first broadcast in October 2018.
When the long-awaited tender was released, it cost $20 for a single coin or $55 for a set of three coins. On eBay, the tender sold for almost $900.