A meticulous thief burgled wealthy homes, until one slip-up
In July 2020, Detective Sergeant Sean Schimizzi from Stonnington CIU saw a pattern in eight Toorak homes that had been burglarized in just over a week. Designer goods, cash and jewelery were stolen but one thing really stood out.
“This was the style of burglary that was committed,” Schimizzi told crime reporter John Silvester. Naked City podcast.
“We’re talking about a high-level, organized theft group.”
A year-long investigation, codenamed Oceans, will be required to determine the pattern and extent of the sophisticated thefts, some of which reached as far as Queensland and amounted to millions of dollars.
The gang did not strike during daylight hours because they wanted to hide the darkness, they chose houses with the lights off and targeted houses or empty blocks next to the construction site. The planning was perfect, until a mistake.
In this section Naked CitySilvester interviews Schimizzi, who caught a notorious international cat burglar.
Silvester is a columnist Age. He has covered Melbourne’s crime-fighting and justice system since the 1970s and won numerous awards, including three Walkley Awards and six Melbourne Press Club Quill Awards. He is the author or co-author of more than 30 books, including the Underbelly books., these were made into a television series.
John Silvester lifts the lid on Australia’s criminal underworld. Subscribers can sign up to receive the Naked City newsletter every Thursday.
