Police seek to reunite 100K of stolen tools with their owners

Box Hill Police have arrested an alleged prolific tool thief who amassed more than 200 stolen tools worth approximately $100,000.

An investigation commenced after police received a report from a tradie that his tools had been stolen from the back of his work ute in Blackburn on 14 June.

The tradie identified his stolen tools on an online marketplace shortly after they were stolen.

Following this, a search warrant was executed on a Doncaster property on Friday 4 July, where police uncovered two locked rooms of tools including laser equipment, drop saws, and a large volume of handheld power tools.

The alleged offender was not home at the time of the raid, however, was arrested on Tuesday 8 July.

The 29-year-old Doncaster man has been charged with handling stolen goods and negligently dealing with the proceeds of crime. He has been bailed to appear before the Ringwood Magistrates Court on 5 November 2025.

Police will allege the man stole the tools over the past six months across Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, including Nunawading, Blackburn, Doncaster, Box Hill, and Burwood.

Officers are releasing images of the recovered tools today in the hope their owners may recognise them. Several of the tools have distinctive markings and engravings on them, as well as serial numbers.

Tool theft is currently surging across Victoria with 19,228 offences recorded in the twelve months to March 2025 – the equivalent of a tool theft every two hours.

There has been a 36.6% increase in tool theft over the past two years (14,078 in the twelve months to March 2023).

The majority of these are stolen from the back of work vans and utes, with offenders targeting unlocked vehicles. Tools left on job sites are also another target for thieves.

As such, police encourage tradies to:

• If possible, remove tools from ute trays and the back of work vans. Store them in your shed overnight.
• If tools are left in your vehicle, lock all doors, external toolboxes, and windows. Also try to hide any tools from sight.
• Park in a garage or well-lit and secure area if possible.
• Remove tools from worksites once done for the day and store in a secure place.

Quotes attributable to Constable Jake Keenan, Box Hill Police

“Tool theft is on the rise across the state, with opportunistic thieves scoping out unlocked vehicles and job sites.

“This is unfortunately an increasingly common crime presently, with a tool theft occurring every two hours in Victoria.

“Having your tools stolen often delivers a major financial hit to tradies, with expensive equipment needing to be replaced and upcoming jobs cancelled.

“We are calling on anyone who recognises their stolen tools among this collection to come forward to police.”

Media Unit

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