Children stealing for junkie parents

Parents are sending their children out to steal for them so they can exchange the stolen goods for drugs, NT Police said last night.

Police Commissioner Paul White said he wanted to "stamp out the practice".

"It's a pretty serious business when parents are acting as receivers on behalf of their children," he said.

Mr White said police so far had only anecdotal evidence of the practice but he urged anyone with knowledge of it to call

Crime Stoppers during the targeted Fabri phone-in operation tomorrow.

Fabri will target receivers of stolen property and will run all day Wednesday, from 1am to midnight.

"The information that I have is that they are transactions on behalf of their children -- so children will go out and commit a crime and bring the stolen
property back to the parent or parents who will then sell it or exchange it for drugs or whatever," Mr White said.

"It's difficult to tell how widespread it is.

"Any information in relation to that type of network we are particularly interested in as part of this operation."

Mr White said while the operation targeted receivers of stolen property, he expected drug dealers would also be busted during Fabri.

"A lot of property is directly traded for illicit drugs -- what we have is a market in the Territory where people are prepared to go out and plan and commit a crime such as a theft from a motor vehicle or breaking into a house with the specific purpose of going direct to a receiver who also peddles illicit drugs," he said last night.

"There is some evidence to indicate some people on prescription drugs are trading their prescription drugs for stolen property."

This year, there has been a 6 per cent increase in the number of people charged with receiving or handling proceeds of crime, compared with the same period last year.

"We know that without a market for the sale of stolen goods, breakers and thieves can't operate, so a receiver is just as critical to the stolen property market as the breaker or the thief," Mr White said.

He said the operation was set up so teams of detectives could move in and arrest
offenders as soon as information was received.

"Nineteen members of the police force will take part in this operation -- they will be ready to respond immediately to information as it comes in," Mr White said.

"The process is, of course, that if a person makes a call on the day, we will immediately assess the information.

"If there is sufficient evidence we will act immediately to bring the receivers
to justice."

The hotline number is 1800 333 000.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: 08th June 2004
Source: Northern Territory News
Author: Edith Bevin
Website: http://www.ntnews.com.au
Email: ntnmail@ntn.newsltd.com.au
Copyright: 2004 Northern Territory News